Cenozoic climate change shaped the evolutionary ecophysiology of the Cupressaceae conifers

The Cupressaceae clade has the broadest diversity in habitat and morphology of any conifer family. This clade is characterized by highly divergent physiological strategies, with deciduous swamp-adapted genera-like Taxodium at one extreme, and evergreen desert genera-like Cupressus at the other. The size disparity within the Cupressaceae is equally impressive, with members ranging from 5-m-tall juniper shrubs to 100-m-tall redwood trees. Phylogenetic studies demonstrate that despite this variation, these taxa all share a single common ancestor; by extension, they also share a common ancestral habitat. Here, we use a common-garden approach to compare xylem and leaf-level physiology in this family. We then apply comparative phylogenetic methods to infer how Cenozoic climatic change shaped the morphological and physiological differences between modern-day members of the Cupressaceae. Our data show that drought-resistant crown clades (the Cupressoid and Callitroid clades) most likely evolved from drought-intolerant Mesozoic ancestors, and that this pattern is consistent with proposed shifts in post-Eocene paleoclimates. We also provide evidence that within the Cupressaceae, the evolution of drought-resistant xylem is coupled to increased carbon investment in xylem tissue, reduced xylem transport efficiency, and at the leaf level, reduced photosynthetic capacity. Phylogenetically based analyses suggest that the ancestors of the Cupressaceae were dependent upon moist habitats, and that drought-resistant physiology developed along with increasing habitat aridity from the Oligocene onward. We conclude that the modern biogeography of the Cupressaceae conifers was shaped in large part by their capacity to adapt to drought.     

Distribution of living Cupressaceae reflects the breakup of Pangea

Most extant genus-level radiations in gymnosperms are of Oligocene age or younger, reflecting widespread extinction during climate cooling at the Oligocene/Miocene boundary [～23 million years ago (Ma)]. Recent biogeographic studies have revealed many instances of long-distance dispersal in gymnosperms as well as in angiosperms. Acting together, extinction and long-distance dispersal are likely to erase historical biogeographic signals. Notwithstanding this problem, we show that phylogenetic relationships in the gymnosperm family Cupressaceae (162 species, 32 genera) exhibit patterns expected from the Jurassic/Cretaceous breakup of Pangea. A phylogeny was generated for 122 representatives covering all genera, using up to 10,000 nucleotides of plastid, mitochondrial, and nuclear sequence per species. Relying on 16 fossil calibration points and three molecular dating methods, we show that Cupressaceae originated during the Triassic, when Pangea was intact. Vicariance between the two subfamilies, the Laurasian Cupressoideae and the Gondwanan Callitroideae, occurred around 153 Ma (124-183 Ma), when Gondwana and Laurasia were separating. Three further intercontinental disjunctions involving the Northern and Southern Hemisphere are coincidental with or immediately followed the breakup of Pangea.     

Cypress: a new plague for the Rhône-Alpes region?

Today the Cupressaceae are seen as one of the most allergenic plant families in the mediterranean region. A comparative study of Cupressaceae pollen concentration as sampled in Lyon-Bron (temperate region) and in Montpellier (mediterranean region) has been conducted. During the last 20 years, this family of plant has increasingly been represented in the pollinic spectra. In Montpellier the annual mean pollen concentration went from 43 pollen grains m3 of air at the beginning of the eighties to 72 pollen grains at the beginning of the years 2000. In Lyon, the progression is above 200% but with lesser annual mean pollen concentrations: 4.5 pollen grains m3 of air at the beginning of the eighties to 13.7 pollen grains at the beginning of the years 2000. The annual mean pollen concentration in the Lyon region still modest compared to the mediterranean stations, shows a steep increase though, that should be taken care of.     

四川省成都市城区气传花粉监测

目的探索四川省成都市城区气传花粉的种类、数量及飘散规律。方法应用重力沉降法于2018年3月1日至2019年2月28日在四川省成都市城区进行为期1年的连续每日气传花粉曝片。结果共收集到花粉139520粒/1000 mm 2,能鉴定的花粉总计隶属36科、31属、2个种。其中构属花粉含量最高,达81754粒/1000 mm 2,占全年花粉总量的58.60%,其播粉期为3~4月,高峰期为3月下半月至4月上半月;其次是柏科花粉,达27518粒/1000 mm 2,占全年花粉总量的19.72%,其播粉期为1~3月,高峰期为1月下旬至3月上旬;大麻/葎草属占第三位,花粉含量5112粒/1000 mm 2,占全年花粉总量的3.66%,其播粉期为8~10月,高峰期为8月下旬至10月下旬。上述3种花粉为本地区优势气传花粉,合计占全年花粉总量的81.98%。含量超过1%的花粉还依次包括银杏、桦木属、松属、悬铃木属、枫杨属及蒿属花粉。全年花粉含量月分布呈现2个高峰,第一高峰为1~5月,主要气传花粉为构属、柏科、银杏、桦木属、松属、悬铃木属、枫杨属等树木花粉,占全年花粉总量的89.38%。第二高峰为8~10月,主要气传花粉为大麻/葎草属、蒿属等莠草花粉,占全年花粉总量的5.04%。结论本地区花粉季节有两个:春季为主要花粉季节,主要气传花粉为构属、柏科等树木花粉;夏秋季为次要花粉季节,主要花粉气传为大麻/葎草属、蒿属等莠草花粉。构属、柏科、大麻/葎草属花粉为本地区优势气传花粉,构属花粉为本地区绝对优势气传花粉。     

Juniperus ashei: the gold standard of the Cuppressaceae

The non-standardized Cupressus sempervirens allergen extract currently available for the diagnosis of cypress allergy has a low level of activity. The search for an active material consisted of in vitro and in vivo comparison of three Cupressaceae pollen extracts: Cupressus sempervirens (Cs), Cupressus arizonica (Ca) and Juniperus ashei (Ja) (synonyms: Juniperus sabinoides and Mountain Cedar). These 3 trees belong to the same botanical family of Cupressaceae. While Cs and Ca are commonly encountered in Mediterranean regions, Ja is only present in Europe in the Balkans, but is a major cause of allergy in the USA. In vitro, with a similar protein content, the allergenic properties of Ja extract are 20-Fold higher than those of Cs and 11-fold higher than those of Ca. IgE immunoblotting revealed 14, 42 and 70 kDa allergens common to all 3 extracts. The inhibition curves of the 3 extracts were more than 88% parallel. A significant correlation was observed between serum specific IgE titres for Ja and Cs in 23 patients (r = 0.916; p < 0.001). In vivo, in 23 patients with cypress allergy, the mean diameter of the prick test papule at 1/20 W/V of Ja (8.3 mm) was greater than that of the Cs papule (6.3 mm) (p = 0.001) and the Ca papule (6.7 mm) (p < 0.001). Correlations between cutaneous responses to Cs and Ja (r = 0.629; p = 0.002), and to Cs and Ca (r = 0.75; p = 0.001) were significant. These results demonstrate the intense cross-reactivity between Cs, Ca and Ja. The allergenic potency of the Ja extract is superior to that of Cs and Ca extracts, both in vitro and in vivo. This superiority is correlated with a high concentration of the major allergen, Jun a 1. The non-standardized The now standardized extract of in vitro ashei pollen therefore represents an effective and documented solution for identification, and probably for treatment, of Cupressaceae pollen allergy.     

Protease activity of allergenic pollen of cedar, cypress, juniper, birch and ragweed.

BACKGROUND: Pollen is an important trigger of allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and/or asthma, and an exacerbating factor in atopic dermatitis. Although it is proposed that protease activity from allergen sources, such as mites, enhances allergenicity, little information is available on that from relevant allergenic pollens such as Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress pollens, which are the major cause of pollinosis in Japan. METHODS: We analyzed the protease activities derived from allergenic pollen of Japanese cedar, Japanese cypress, and Rocky mountain juniper, which belong to the Cupressaceae/Taxodiaceae family, and white birch and short ragweed, using synthetic substrates and class-specific inhibitors. RESULTS: We found that the pollen of the three members of the Cupressaceae/Taxodiaceae family contained serine protease activity, that the pollen of white birch and short ragweed contained not only serine protease activity but also cysteine protease activity, that all five types of pollen tested contained at least one other type of serine protease, whose sensitivity to a serine protease-specific inhibitor was relatively low, and that the content and releasability of the pollen-derived proteases differed according to the plant families. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically relevant allergenic pollens tested in the present study can release serine and/or cysteine endopeptidases. Information on the spectrum of the endopeptidase activities from these allergenic pollen grains will be useful for investigating their contribution to the pathogenesis of allergies.     

Prevalence of cypress pollen sensitization and its clinical importance in Izmir, Turkey, with cypress allergy assessed by nasal provocation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pollens from the Cupressaceae family are considered important allergens in the Mediterranean area, though reports of the prevalence of allergic symptoms have ranged from 1.04% to 35.4%. Our aim was to detect the prevalence of cypress pollen sensitization and determine its clinical importance in patients with seasonal respiratory allergy. METHODS: We used skin prick tests (SPT) and serum specific IgE assays to reveal sensitization to cypress pollen. In patients who showed positive results to cypress pollen, a nasal provocation test (NPT) with pollen extract was used to assess the target organ response. RESULTS: Sixty-five (14.3%) of 455 patients showed positive SPT responses to Cupressus sempervirens extract. Only 1 patient was monosensitized while 64 patients were polysensitized. Among those, 2 pollen cosensitizations were found to be significant (86% were cosensitized to grasses and 72% were cosensitized to olive (P < .001). Serum specific IgE to cypress pollen was measured in 50 of the 65 patients; findings were positive for 37. When these 37 patients underwent NPT with C sempervirens allergen extract, only the single monosensitized patient had a positive NPT. CONCLUSION: A positive SPT to cypress pollen may not reflect the true prevalence of sensitization. We assume that in the absence of a positive NPT, positive SPT results might be related to the presence of cross-reactivity between pollen species.     

Cypress in Italy: landscape and pollen monitoring

In Italy the Cupressaceae pollen has been monitored by the Italian Aeroallergen Network (IAN) in collaboration with the Italian Research Council (CNR) since 1988. The measurements carried out over the last decade show a positive trend of the seasonal emission of the cypress pollen, whose flowering peak occurs in Italy from mid-February to mid-March. During the pollination period the cypress pollen represents 10% to 40% of the total pollen, showing a high variability of its annual production.     

Investigation of pollens, fungal spors and other materials in houst dust of Isparta

In this study allergic materials in house dusts collected from preselected stations in Isparta between April 1996 and March 1997 are investigated. Ten stations were preselected for the study. Dusts vacuumed in vacuum cleaners are collected regularly from selected houses every month. Preparations were prepared with Wodehouse method. These preparations were investigated microscopically and diagnosis and counts of pollens, fungal spors, plant tissues, and starch particles per 4 cm(2) in respect to months are performed. Obtained results are transformed to allergic material per square centimeters and are shown with tables and graphics. As a result, pollens belonging to 44 taxons are detected in Isparta house dusts. Annual total pollen per cm(2) is found as 277.5. Among these pollens most frequently seen are Pinaceae, Poaceae, Asteraceae and Cupressaceae respectively. While starch is first in order (2224/cm(2)), plant tissues are seen 133/cm(2) and fungal spors are seen 17.1/cm(2). Allergic pollens for Isparta are Poaceae, Asteraceae and Cupressaceae and as the other, fungal spors. We believe that our results will be helpful for the physicians in diagnosis and treatment of patients with allergic disorders.     

Airborne pollens and prevalence of pollenosis in western Liguria: a 10-year study.

During the last 15 years aerobiology has become a relevant branch of allergy, making possible the partial clarification of the relationships between clinical diseases and environment. We performed a 10-year survey of pollen counts and pollen sensitization in a confined area on the western Ligurian coast of Italy in order to evaluate possible changes in aerobiological pattern and to correlate them with the prevalence of sensitization. Pollen counts for the area surrounding Bordighera in the period from 1988-1997 were analyzed; the occurrence of skin sensitization in outpatients were also studied during the same period. We considered the following allergens: Parietaria, grasses, Compositae, Cupressaceae, olive and birch. We also examined the possible differences between patients living on the seaside and those living inland. Over the 10-year period a significant increase in the pollen counts was seen for birch and Compositae (p = 0.001); this was accompanied by a parallel significant increase in the rate of sensitization (p = 0.004 and p = 0.01, respectively). Conversely, an increase in sensitization to Cupressaceae (p = 0.001) and olive (p = 0.03) was also seen, although no change in the pollen counts was detectable. Finally, the prevalence of sensitization to Cupressaceae and Compositae was higher in the patients living in the coastal region than those residing inland. These data suggest that a positive correlation between the pollen counts and the rate of sensitization exists for certain pollens. Nevertheless, for other species such a correlation was not apparent, and additional environmental factors maybe involved in the increased prevalence of sensitization.     

宁波市气传花粉研究

目的明确宁波市城区全年气传花粉种类和数量及其分布特征。方法应用重力沉降法对宁波市城区2012年1月至12月气传花粉进行调查。4个重力花粉采样器分别放置于城区海曙区,以及郊区镇海区、鄞州区和北仑区。结果全年共有2个花粉含量高峰,分别为3至5月和8至10月。海曙区共收集花粉7880粒/1000 mm~2,可鉴定出11个科,24个属,3个种。其中,树木类花粉总计7436粒/1000 mm~2(94.37%),草本类花粉332粒/1000 mm~2(4.21%)。3月至5月共收集到花粉7248粒/1000 mm~2(91.98%),以树木类花粉为主,花粉量较多的依次为松属(27.69%)、桑属(17.79%)、柏科(16.42%)。8月至10月共收集到花粉342粒/1000 mm~2(4.34%),以草本类花粉为主,花粉量较多的依次蒿属(0.96%)、禾本科(0.81%)和大麻葎草属(0.63%)。镇海区共收集花粉4090粒/1000 mm~2,可鉴定出13个科,23个属,3个种;其中,树木类花粉2962粒/1000 mm~2(72.42%),草本类花粉988粒/1000 mm~2(24.16%),花粉含量较多的依次为松属(21.66%)、柏科(12.37%)和柳杉属(10.90%)。鄞州区共收集花粉2568粒/1000mm~2,可鉴定出12个科,20个属;其中,树木类花粉1900粒/1000 mm~2(73.99%),草本类花粉522粒/1000 mm~2(20.33%),花粉含量较多的依次为松属(21.48%)、柏科(17.76%)和柳杉属(7.32%)。北仑区共收集花粉2204粒/1000mm~2,可鉴定出9个科,21个属;其中,树木类花粉1580粒/1000 mm~2(71.69%),草本类花粉526粒/1000 mm~2(23.87%),花粉含量较多的依次为松属(19.42%)、柏科(13.25%)和柳杉属(10.8%)。结论宁波市城区气传花粉分布呈现2个高峰,松属、桑属、柏科和柳杉属是其主要气传花粉。研究为花粉预报、确定主要致敏花粉奠定了基础。     

Allergie aux pollens de Cyprès

Cupressaceae pollen allergy has increased in the Mediterranean region in recent decades. This allergy constitutes one of the few causes of respiratory allergy of winter. With regards to its clinical manifestations, rhinitis and conjunctivitis are more frequent than asthma. There has been a progressive increase in the total and annual concentration of Cupressaceae pollen, the reasons for which are the parallel increase in the planting of these trees and the global hothouse effect with the resulting climate change, both of which increase the production of pollen and their concentration in the ambient air. The effectiveness and safety of specific immunotherapy for Cupressaceae allergy were demonstrated some years ago in double-blind, controlled studies in which either traditional subcutaneous therapy or sublingual therapy were used.     

A 10-year aerobiological study (1994-2003) in the Mediterranean island of Crete, Greece: trees, aerobiologic data, and botanical and clinical correlations.

Pollen grains from the plant cover of a given area participate largely in the composition of aeroflora (pollen and molds) of this area. Association of allergic respiratory disorders with concentration of allergenic particles in the atmosphere is well documented, and aerobiologic studies are of great relevance. A 10-year volumetric aerobiologic study was conducted in the city of Heraklion, located in the center of the north-shore of the island of Crete, Greece. Main allergenic families and genera encountered were, in descending order of frequency Oleaceae, Quercus, Platanaceae, Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Populus, Moraceae, and Corylaceae. Concentrations noted for most of these aeroallergens were much lower than those reported from other European regions. In parallel, an atopic population of 576 individuals, exhibiting allergic symptoms mainly of the respiratory tract were subjected to a battery of skin-prick tests. A fair degree of agreement between total pollen counts and positive skin-prick test frequencies for the families of Oleaceae, Platanaceae, and Cupressaceae was noted. On the contrary a poor degree of concordance was noted for the rest of the families and genera.     

MYBPC3基因G12101A和MYH7基因G15391A突变与肥厚型心肌病临床表型

目的 研究中国人家族性肥厚型心肌病(HCM)的致病基因突变位点,分析基因型与临床表型的相互关系.方法 在2个中国汉族HCM家系中进行心脏肌钙蛋白T基因(TNNT2)、心脏肌球蛋白结合蛋白C基因(MYBPC3)和心脏β-肌球蛋白重链基因(MYH7)的突变筛查,聚合酶链式反应(PCR)扩增基因功能区外显子片段并对PCR产物进行测序分析.结果 在ZZJ家系接受调查的8名成员中有4名成员携带MYBPC3基因G12101A杂合突变,该突变位点位于MYBPC3基因的21号外显子并使668位的精氨酸(R)转换为组氨酸(H),携带该突变的家族成员发病年龄较晚且均无梗阻及晕厥史.在FHL家系接受调查的6名成员中有3名成员携带MYH7基因G15391A杂合突变,该突变位点位于MYH7基因的23号外显子并使930位的谷氨酸(E)转换为赖氨酸(K),该突变导致的临床表型呈现发病年龄早、梗阻率高以及外显率高的特点.两家系成员TNNT2基因未发现突变,且正常对照组相同位置未发现异常.结论 MYBPC3基凶和MYH7基因是我国家族性HCM的致病基因,MYBPC3基因G12101A突变所致HCM临床症状相对较轻,而MYH7基因G15391A突变所致HCM临床症状出现早、进展较快且预后较差,是一种恶性突变.     

Poor outcome in children with refractory/relapsed leukemia undergoing bone marrow transplantation with mismatched family member donors

The utility of bone marrow transplantation for childhood leukemia in patients unable to achieve a remission prior to transplant is controversial. To address this issue, we analyzed a subset of patients with advanced leukemia entered on prospective transplant trials at our hospital. Fifty-eight patients with ALL or AML (age 1-19) were identified. They had failed standard chemotherapy and were in relapse (22 in 1st, 27 in 2nd, three in 3rd, and three in 4th) or had never achieved an initial remission (three) at the time of transplant. Fifty-two patients received marrow from mismatched family members (haplo or DR-identical), while six received marrow from matched siblings. Most patients received myeloablative therapy consisting of total body irradiation, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, and cytosine arabinoside. Marrow from mismatched donors was T cell depleted. Only one of 52 patients transplanted with a mismatched donor survived long-term while three of six patients transplanted in relapse with a fully matched sibling donor are alive 6-10 years post BMT. The major causes of death were infection (39%) and relapse (28%). Acute GVHD grade III-IV was noted in 7% of patients. A comparable group of patients with leukemia transplanted at our center in remission using similarly mismatched family member donors (haplo or DR-identical) had an event-free survival of 28%. In conclusion, our data suggest that BMT utilizing mismatched family member donors is a poor option for patients in relapse at the time of transplant. New treatment strategies need to be developed to effectively manage these patients.     

Aerobiological and allergenic analysis of cupressaceae pollen in Granada (Southern Spain).

Cupressaceae pollen has been cited in recent years as one of the major airborne allergens of the Mediterranean region, prompting us to conduct an exhaustive analysis on the aerobiological behaviour of this pollen in the Iberian Peninsula and the repercussion that it has had on the atopic population. The aerobiological study, performed from 1996 to 2003 in the city of Granada (S. Spain), used a volumetric Hirst collector. The results indicate that this pollen is present in the air most of the year, registering a high incidence during the winter months. This type of pollen behaved irregularly in the air, fluctuating yearly, seasonally, and within the same day. Temperature and humidity were the parameters that most directly influence the variability of this allergen, while rainfall prior to flowering increased pollen production. The predictive models used estimated a high percentage of the levels reached over the short term by this pollen in the atmosphere of Granada. The clinical study performed with atopic patients showed that some 30% of the population with pollinosis are sensitive to Cupressaceae pollen, affecting people of both genders equally. On the other hand, the most sensitive age group was 21-40 years of age, while children and the elderly registered almost negligible values. Most of the sensitive subjects resided within the city or in the metropolitan area, where environmental pollution reached high levels, while the pathology was found to be less frequent in rural zones. The most frequent symptoms were upper-respiratory ailments and an asthmatic profile.     

Recognition of T Cell Epitopes Unique to Cha o 2, the Major Allergen in Japanese Cypress Pollen,in Allergic Patients Cross-Reactive to Japanese Cedar and Japanese Cypress Pollen

BackgroundPollens from species of the Cupressaceae family are one of the most important causes of respiratory allergies worldwide. Many patients with pollinosis have specific IgE to both allergens from Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress pollen. We set out to identify T cell epitopes in Cha o 2, the second major allergen of Japanese cypress pollen.MethodsT cell lines (TCL) and T cell clones (TCC) specific to Cha o 2 were generated from allergic patients cross-reactive to Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress pollen. T cell epitopes in Cha o 2 were identified by responses of TCL stimulated with overlapping peptides. Abilities of IL-4/IFN-γ production by TCC were evaluated using enzyme immunoassay.ResultsUsing TCL, 11 dominant and subdominant T cell epitopes were identified in Cha o 2. The subsets of TCC were predominantly of T helper 2-type. A T cell epitope p141-160 in Cha o 2 and corresponding peptide in Cry j 2 showed high homology. Although TCC PC.205.159 responded to stimulation with p141-160 in Cha o 2, it did not respond with corresponding peptide in Cry j 2, therefore, the T cell epitope was unique to Cha o 2.ConclusionsEleven T cell epitopes that were identified are unique to Cha o 2. Cha o 2 is a putative aeroallergen that can potentially sensitize human T cells. We concluded that generation of T cells specific to Cha o 2 in allergic patients acts as one of the causes of continuous allergic symptoms in April.     

家庭支持对复治肺结核患者院外化疗遵医行为的影响

目的了解复治肺结核患者家庭支持对其院外化疗遵医行为的影响及其关系。方法对78例复治肺结核患者的家庭支持状况和遵医行为进行调查,并分析两者之间的关系。结果78例复治肺结核患者中的高家庭支持有53例,占67.95%,高家庭支持的患者遵医行为达84.91%～90.57%,低家庭支持的患者遵医行为仅为32.00%～52.00%,家庭支持的高低与遵医行为各项目的比较差异均有统计学意义(P均0.05)。结论家庭支持状况直接影响复治肺结核患者的遵医行为,医护人员应重视对复治肺结核患者家属的教育,增强患者的遵医行为。     

Family change,caste, and the elderly in a rural locale in Nepal

This study reports research conducted in a rural Nepalese Hindu Community to examine three questions: (1) the nature of family structure of the elderly roughly 4 decades ago; (2) whether the family structure at that time was the same for high and low castes; and (3) whether the past situation differs from that today. Four decades ago 78% of elderly high caste males were living in the ideal Hindu joint family structure compared with only 24% of the low castes. Today just 50% of the high castes and 42% of the low castes live in joint families. The difference in the past derives from access to and control over economic resources. Economic changes since 1950 have increased access to economic resources and altered the family structure of the high castes but not the low castes.This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (BNS82-19188), the National Geographic Society (2641-83), and the American Federation for Aging Research. A version of this paper was presented at the 84th Annual Meeting of the The American Anthropological Association, December 1985.     

Incidence of Giardia intestinalis in family environments in the light of epidemiologic studies

Coproscopy parasitological studies were carried out in family environments. Samples of feces were taken three times from 1728 persons (400 families) from urban and rural environments in south-eastern regions of Poland. The general extensity of giardiasis amounted to 39.6% and was higher in urban families (average 41.3%) than in those inhabiting rural areas (average 36.6%). The giardiasis dominated in children from 1 to 4 years (average more than 78% infected), especially in urban areas (extensity of infection 80.1%). It was also frequent in persons of male sex.