Issues related to research for assessing the environmental impact of genetically modified (GM) crops on the ecosystem are the killing of non-target insects by GM crop pollen and gene flow to related species. Dealing properly with these issues requires the development of an automatic airborne pollen count method suited to the crops in question. We therefore developed a pollen monitor that can automatically and continuously count the airborne pollen of corn, a typical GM crop, and took pollen counts outdoors throughout the flowering period of a corn community while also observing meteorological elements. Our corn pollen monitor readings had an excellent correlation of 0.95 with those of a Durham sampler, which is widely used to measure airborne pollen. Variations in the corn pollen count as measured by the corn pollen monitor and variations in meteorological elements provided these and other observations: The daily variation pattern for pollen count differed from the daily variation pattern for meteorological elements; concentration peaked in the forenoon and by noon declined to lower than half the peak; and concentration increased rapidly after sunrise, but declined slowly from the peak until nighttime. We also discovered that pollen count was related to air temperature variations: when there was a large rise in air temperature, much pollen was released and dispersed outside the community.

View full abstract

To study the involvement of Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 - the allergenic proteins of Cryptomeria japonica pollen - in pollen growth, we examined their distribution in the germinated pollen using monoclonal antibodies against both proteins. We also examined the localization of pectins and arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) using JIM 5 and JIM 7 - monoclonal antibodies against pectins - and JIM 13 - a monoclonal antibody against AGPs - since Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 have degradation activity on pectins. In immunoblot analysis, Cry j 1 was scarcely detected in the extract from germinated pollen. Cry j 2 was found in the extracts from mature quiescent pollen grains and the germinated pollen. Immunoelectron microscopy showed little labeling of every region of the germinated pollen with the anti-Cry j 1 antibody, whereas the anti-Cry j 2 antibody labeled only the starch grains in the pollen grains and germinated pollen. In contrast, JIM 5 and JIM 7 labeled the nexine layer, and JIM 13 labeled the starch grains and other regions. Thus, the distributions of Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 in the germinated pollen were not in accord with those of pectins. Also, the localization of Cry j 2 did not coincide with that of AGP, except for the presence of both of them in the starch grains. These results suggest that Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 are not involved in pollen germination and tube growth, and that Cry j 1, which exists in the boundary region between the nexine and the intine-1 layers, may contribute to separating the intine from the exine after hydration.

View full abstract

In order to predict Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonicd) pollen production, the extent of flower setting and 12 years of meteorological data have been studied previously. The end of the rainy season is the most important factor in number of male flowers produced. When the rainy season ends after 11 July, the amount of male flowers produced decreases. In this study, we investigated male flower development by morphologic and macroscopic studies from 1999 to 2003 at Mt. Rokko. Male flowers of Japanese cedar could differentiate at the beginning of June, whereas early July was the best period for differentiation with rapid growth. Male flower differentiation corresponded with the end of the rainy season even if this occurred at the beginning of June. Sunshine, high temperatures and water stress can trigger differentiation. The extent of male flower production can be predicted by the weather data at the actual time of flower bud differentiation.

View full abstract

Object: Gramineae pollinosis has occurred frequently over the last 10 years. It is an urgent necessity for our allergy clinic to determine the source of airborne antigenic pollens. For an analysis of the Gramineae pollen, regular pollen observation has been performed using Durham's pollen trap since 1987 in Hisai, Mie, Japan; and the pollen count data showed an annual distribution pattern with two or three peaks, each in spring, summer and autumn. This study aimed to identify the Gramineae pollen source of the summer peak. Method: For airborne pollens, the major and minor axis of pollen grains were measured. Then, these measurements were compared with those of the pollen sample from the rice variety "Koshihikari", that is predominantly cultivated in the Hisai area. The comparison was made with the confidence ellipse of the two-variables analysis. Results: Most airborne pollens of the summer peak were almost round in shape and about 45 micron in the major axis, and at least 80% of them were within a 95% confidence ellipse given by the "Koshihikari" pollen. During the past 17 years, the heading date of "Koshihikari" varied from 17 July to 31 July, while the pollen season appeared in less than 7 days before or after the heading date. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the rice yield/10a and the total count of airborne pollens during July and August. Conclusion: These results suggest that a considerably large number of airborne Gramineae pollens in mid summer originate from rice (Oryza saliva L.) in the middle area of Mie prefecture.

View full abstract

Progress of the Cryptomeria japonica pollen front in 2004 was monitored by tracking the first day of pollen release, namely one or more grains per 1cm^2/day were counted two or more consecutive days as a rule after January 1. For this research, Durham samplers were used at 96 sites, IS-Rotary samplers were used at 23 sites and Burkard samplers were used at 4 sites. These samplers were distributed from Kyushu to Hokkaido. By using the Durham sampler, in the middle of February, the pollen front was first found in parts of Shikoku and the Kinki Peninsula, and in both the Tokai and southern Kanto districts facing the Pacific Ocean. During mid and late February, the front came up to the Chugoku district facing the Japan Sea and northern parts of the Kinki to Kanto areas in central Honshu. By the end of February, the front was observed in southern Kyushu and in a part of the Sanin area, and also in the southern part of the Tohoku area, then it reached into the central and northern Tohoku and also into the inland central Chubu area in the early and middle parts of March. The front finally arrived in central Hokkaido by late March. By using the IS-Rotary sampler, the front was first observed about 10 days earlier than that using the Durham sampler in the western districts of the Kanto area.

View full abstract