title: Pollen of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.): Illumina-based de novo sequencing and differential transcript expression upon elevated NO2/O3.
abstract: Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is a highly allergenic annual ruderal plant and native to Northern America, but now also spreading across Europe. Air pollution and climate change will not only affect plant growth, pollen production and duration of the whole pollen season, but also the amount of allergenic encoding transcripts and proteins of the pollen. The objective of this study was to get a better understanding of transcriptional changes in ragweed pollen upon NO2and O3fumigation. This will also contribute to a systems biology approach to understand the reaction of the allergenic pollen to air pollution and climate change. Ragweed plants were grown in climate chambers under controlled conditions and fumigated with enhanced levels of NO2and O3. Illumina sequencing and de novo assembly revealed significant differentially expressed transcripts, belonging to different gene ontology (GO) terms that were grouped into biological process and molecular function. Transcript levels of the known Amb a ragweed encoding allergens were clearly up-regulated under elevated NO2, whereas the amount of allergen encoding transcripts was more variable under elevated O3conditions. Moreover transcripts encoding allergen known from other plants could be identified. The transcriptional changes in ragweed pollen upon elevated NO2fumigation indicates that air pollution will alter the transcriptome of the pollen. The changed levels of allergenic encoding transcripts may have an influence on the total allergenic potential of ragweed pollen.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany. Electronic address: feng.zhao@helmholtz-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Biochemical Plant Pathology, Technische Universität München, Center of Life and Food Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany. Electronic address: durner@helmholtz-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Durner
authors.affiliation: Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany. Electronic address: bwinkler@helmholtz-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: J Barbro
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, UNIKA-T, Augsburg, Germany; CK-CARE, Christine Kühne - Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos-Wolfgang, Switzerland. Electronic address: claudia.traidl-hoffmann@tum.de.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Traidl-Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany. Electronic address: strom@helmholtz-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Tim-Matthias
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Strom
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; CK-CARE, Christine Kühne - Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos-Wolfgang, Switzerland. Electronic address: ernst@helmholtz-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; CK-CARE, Christine Kühne - Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos-Wolfgang, Switzerland. Electronic address: ulrike.frank@helmholtz-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D031164:Ambrosia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D057231:Climate Change; D005651:Fumigation; D063990:Gene Ontology; D006801:Humans; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009656:North America; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D012621:Seasons; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D010936:Plant Extracts; C433085:ragweed pollen; D010126:Ozone; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide
keywords: Air pollution; Allergen; Ambrosia artemisiifolia; Pollen; Ragweed; Transcriptome