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In Japan, Japanese cedar pollen dispersal is one of the major causes of pollinosis. Sydowia japonica is an ascomycetous fungus that grows exclusively on the male strobili of Japanese cedar, suggesting a possible mechanism for controlling pollen dispersal. To evaluate this possibility, eleven isolates of S. japonica were collected from around Japan...
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Pollinosis caused by Cryptomeria japonica is a very serious health problem in Japan. To clarify the rela- tionship between C. japonica pollen emissions before the main pollen dispersal season and dormancy of the male flowers, pollen emissions from C. japonica trees were observed from November to February, using both flowering tests and an airborne...
Citations
... Low pollen cultivars should be selected for other species, either in natural populations or breeding populations, as for C. japonica [132]. For this latter species, an approach to prevent pollen dispersal lies in the use of pollen-specific fungal infection [133]. For Cupressus, sterile cultivars can be produced through the production of haploid lines from C. dupreziana surrogate mothers [134]. ...
The conifers, from the latin meaning “cone carrier,” include about 650 species distributed in seven families. They are found all over the world, and the most known conifers are the cypresses, the junipers, the yews, the larches, the firs, or the pines. The most allergenic pollen is emitted by the Cupressaceae/Taxaceae family with mainly five different genera: Cupressus, Hesperocyparis, Juniperus, Cryptomeria, and Chamaecyparis. The symptomatic period starts in November and ends in April. In Mediterranean areas, Cupressus sempervirens is the most common pollinating species. Five main cypress allergens have been thoroughly described. Depending on the geographic area and the studied population, the prevalence of cypress allergy in the general population ranges from 0.6% to 3%, and 9–65% of outpatients consulting an allergist are sensitized to cypress pollen. This prevalence is increasing likely to be due to the modifications of the environment. Rhinitis is the most prevalent clinical symptom, while conjunctivitis is the most disabling. Clear-cut improvements of the quality of life are observed upon an effective and safe specific immunotherapy. Associations with food allergy based on molecular allergen cross-reactivities were described resulting in sometimes severe symptoms. Pollens from Pinaceae family, especially pines or firs, although abundant, do not demonstrate a significant clinical impact.
... Low pollen cultivars should be selected for other species, either in natural populations or breeding populations, as for C. japonica [132]. For this latter species, an approach to prevent pollen dispersal lies in the use of pollen-specific fungal infection [133]. For Cupressus, sterile cultivars can be produced through the production of haploid lines from C. dupreziana surrogate mothers [134]. ...
... With other species, low pollen cultivars should be selected either in natural populations or breeding populations, as for C. japonica [199]. For this species, the use of pollen-specific fungal infection has also been proposed as an approach to prevent pollen dispersal [200]. For Cupressus, the production of haploid lines from C. dupreziana surrogate mothers offers the opportunity to produce sterile cultivars [201]. ...
Cypress (Cupressus sp.pl) is a genus within the Cupressaceae family. This family covers all of the Earth’s continents except for Antarctica, and it includes about 160 species. The most important taxa for allergic diseases belong to five different genera: Cupressus, Hesperocyparis, Juniperus, Cryptomeria, and Chamaecyparis. Cupressaceae species share a common pollen type that can even include the genus Taxus (Taxaceae) when this plant is also present. As Juniperus oxycedrus pollinates in October, Cupressus sempervirens in January and February, Hesperocyparis arizonica (prev. Cupressus arizonica) in February and March, and Juniperus communis in April, the symptomatic period is long-lasting. Due to global warming, the pollination period tends to last longer, and there is a trend for Cupressaceae bioclimate niches to migrate north. In Mediterranean areas, C. sempervirens (Italian cypress or Mediterranean cypress) is by far the most common pollinating species. It accounts for half of the total pollination level. The group 1 major allergens belong to the pectate-lyase family, and members share 70 to 97% sequence homology within the different Cupressaceae. Group 2 allergens correspond to the polygalacturonase protein family, while group 3, a minor allergen, belongs to the family of “thaumatin-like proteins,” a pathogenesis-related protein 5. Group 4 allergens are Ca⁺⁺-binding protein (4 EF-hands). Aside from these four groups, about 15 other allergens have been reported. Prominent among these is a basic low-molecular mass cross-reactive allergen that was identified recently, and which is suspected to be involved in pollen food syndromes which are common with peach and citrus. The prevalence of cypress allergy in the general population ranges from 0.6 to 3%, depending on the degree of exposure to the pollen. Depending on the geographic area and the studied population, 9 to 65% of outpatients consulting an allergist may have sensitization to cypress pollen. Repeated cross-sectional studies performed at different time intervals have demonstrated a threefold increase in the percentage of cypress allergy around the Mediterranean area. Risk factors include a genetic predisposition and/or a strong exposure to pollen, and the natural history of cypress allergy allows identification of a subgroup of patients as allergic rather than atopic. Concerning the clinical expression, rhinitis is the most prevalent symptom, while conjunctivitis is the most disabling. Pharmacological treatment of cypress allergies is not different from that of other seasonal allergies. Immunotherapy has been used, initially by subcutaneous injections, but currently mostly through the sublingual route. Although clinical trials have included only a limited number of patients, it has proven effective and safe. Avoidance can be implemented at the individual level, as well as at the community level, through the use of alternative plants, low-pollinating cypresses, or by trimming hedges before pollination.
... The mechanism of destruction of the pectic membrane of cedar pollen and the release of antigenic proteins in the human nasal cavity, however, remain unclear. Bacteria and fungi are attached to pollen of various plants (8,9). Thus, we hypothesized the presence of bacteria on cedar pollen that may have a role in pollinosis. ...
Sydowia japonica, a dothidealean fungus, is a parasite that is specific to the male strobili of Japanese cedar. The fungus is a candidate for the control of Japanese cedar pollen dispersal, which is a cause of pollinosis. To evaluate S. japonica for bioherbicidal applications, it is necessary to characterise its potential distribution and environmental niche. Here, we predicted the distribution of S. japonica in Japan using field surveys and a maximum entropy model, and identified the environmental variables that influence its distribution. We identified S. japonica from a total of 87 localities in Japan through field surveys. Based on presence data and associated environmental variables, our model predicted that S. japonica is widely distributed in Japan, but concentrated in the Hokuriku and Kinki areas along the Sea of Japan. The model also predicted that the most important environmental variables influencing fungal distribution were sunshine duration in the winter and precipitation in the summer. This new information will contribute to the development of bioherbicidal applications for S. japonica.
In this study, we investigated the simultaneous saccharification, fermentation and detoxification SSDF process of steam-exploded cedar using a detoxification microorganism, Ureibacillus thermosphaericus A1, to facilitate efficient ethanol production. Steam explosion was applied as a pretreatment before enzymatic saccharification followed by alcohol fermentation. The highest glucose conversion rate was observed in the sample pretreated with a steam pressure of 45atm for 5min. Alcohol production by a heat-tolerant yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae BA11, was inhibited strongly by inhibitory materials present in the steam-exploded cedar, such as formic acid, furfural, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The maximum amount of ethanol, i.e., 0.155g ethanol/g dry steam-exploded cedar, which corresponded to 74% of the theoretical ethanol yield, was obtained using the SSDF when U. thermosphaericus A1 degraded the inhibitory materials. A fed batch SSDF culture, in which U. thermosphaericus A1 was used to maintain low concentrations of inhibitory materials, was effective for increasing the ethanol concentration.
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Reduction of the pollen counts of Cryptomeria japonica is required for control of Japanese cedar pollinosis in Japan. The fungal parasite Sydowia japonica is under consideration as a biocontrol agent for male strobili of C. japonica. This organism has been shown to be virulent only against male strobili and seems to be a potential candidate for the control of the pollen dispersal. However the fungus has never produced sufficient numbers of inoculum on the artificial solid media for the application in the field yet. Here we report a series of experiments for mass production of conidia of S. japonica in artificial media. No teleomorph was induced on any artificial medium but conidia were easily produced on several media. Liquid medium based on Czapek-Dox and yeast extract was most useful for the production of the conidia. Additionally, culture condition was optimized for the rapid and mass production of the conidia. This study contributed to development of the application of S. japonica as male strobilusspecific bioherbicide.
