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Van Haeften S, Campbell BC, Milic A, Addison-Smith E, Al Kouba J, Huete A, Beggs PJ, Davies JM. Environmental DNA analysis of airborne poaceae (grass) pollen reveals taxonomic diversity across seasons and climate zones. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 247:117983. [PMID: 38163541 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Grasses populate most biogeographical zones, and their diversity influences allergic sensitisation to pollen. Previously, the contribution of different Poaceae subfamilies to airborne pollen has mostly been inferred from historical herbarium records. We recently applied environmental (e)DNA metabarcoding at one subtropical site revealing that successive airborne grass pollen peaks were derived from repeated flowering of Chloridoid and Panicoid grasses over a season. This study aimed to compare spatiotemporal patterns in grass pollen exposure across seasons and climate zones. METHODS Airborne pollen concentrations across two austral pollen seasons spanning 2017-2019 at subtropical (Mutdapilly and Rocklea, Queensland) and temperate (Macquarie Park and Richmond, New South Wales) sites, were determined with a routine volumetric impaction sampler and counting by light microscopy. Poaceae rbcL metabarcode sequences amplified from daily pollen samples collected once per week were assigned to subfamily and genus using a ribosomal classifier and compared with Atlas of Living Australia sighting records. RESULTS eDNA analysis revealed distinct dominance patterns of grass pollen at various sites: Panicoid grasses prevailed in both subtropical Mutdapilly and temperate Macquarie Park, whilst Chloridoid grasses dominated the subtropical Rocklea site. Overall, subtropical sites showed significantly higher proportion of pollen from Chloridoid grasses than temperate sites, whereas the temperate sites showed a significantly higher proportion of pollen from Pooideae grasses than subtropical sites. Timing of airborne Pooid (spring), Panicoid and Chloridoid (late spring to autumn), and Arundinoid (autumn) pollen were significantly related to number of days from mid-winter. Proportions of eDNA for subfamilies correlated with distributions grass sighting records between climate zones. CONCLUSIONS eDNA analysis enabled finer taxonomic discernment of Poaceae pollen records across seasons and climate zones with implications for understanding adaptation of grasslands to climate change, and the complexity of pollen exposure for patients with allergic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bradley C Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Addison-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jane Al Kouba
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alfredo Huete
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul J Beggs
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Janet M Davies
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunology and Infection Control and Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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Esterhuizen N, Berman DM, Neumann FH, Ajikah L, Quick LJ, Hilmer E, Van Aardt A, John J, Garland R, Hill T, Finch J, Hoek W, Bamford M, Seedat RY, Manjra AI, Peter J. The South African Pollen Monitoring Network: Insights from 2 years of national aerospora sampling (2019-2021). Clin Transl Allergy 2023; 13:e12304. [PMID: 38006379 PMCID: PMC10620116 DOI: 10.1002/clt2.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pollen monitoring has been discontinuously undertaken in South Africa, a country with high biodiversity, a seasonal rainfall gradient, and nine biomes from arid to subtropical. The South African Pollen Monitoring Network was set up in 2019 to conduct the first long-term national aerospora monitoring across multiple biomes, providing weekly reports to allergy sufferers and healthcare providers. METHODS Daily airborne pollen concentrations were measured from August 2019 to August 2021 in seven cities across South Africa. Updated pollen calendars were created for the major pollen types (>3%), the average Annual Pollen Index over 12 months was calculated, and the results were compared to available historical data. RESULTS The main pollen types were from exotic vegetation. The most abundant taxa were Poaceae, Cupressaceae, Moraceae and Buddleja. The pollen season start, peak and end varied widely according to the biome and suite of pollen taxa. The main tree season started in the last week of August, peaked in September and ended in early December. Grass seasons followed rainfall patterns: September-January and January-April for summer and winter rainfall areas, respectively. Major urban centres, for example, Johannesburg and Pretoria in the same biome with similar rainfall, showed substantive differences in pollen taxa and abundance. Some major differences in pollen spectra were detected compared with historical data. However, we are cognisant that we are describing only 2 years of data that may be skewed by short-term weather patterns. CONCLUSIONS Differences in pollen spectra and concentrations were noted across biomes and between geographically close urban centres. Comparison with historical data suggests pollen spectra and seasons may be changing due to anthropogenic climate change and landscaping. These data stress the importance of regional and continuous pollen monitoring for informed care of pollinosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanike Esterhuizen
- Division of Allergology and Clinical ImmunologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Dilys M. Berman
- Division of Allergology and Clinical ImmunologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Frank H. Neumann
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of GeosciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and ManagementFaculty of Natural and Agricultural ScienceNorth West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
| | - Linus Ajikah
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of GeosciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Lynne J. Quick
- African Centre for Coastal PaleoscienceNelson Mandela UniversityGqeberhaSouth Africa
| | - Erin Hilmer
- African Centre for Coastal PaleoscienceNelson Mandela UniversityGqeberhaSouth Africa
| | - Andri Van Aardt
- Department of Plant SciencesFaculty of Natural and Agricultural SciencesUniversity of the Free StateBloemfonteinSouth Africa
| | | | - Rebecca Garland
- Smart PlaceCSIRPretoriaSouth Africa
- Laboratory of Atmospheric Science, Department of GeographyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Trevor Hill
- Discipline of GeographyUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalPietermaritzburgSouth Africa
| | - Jemma Finch
- Discipline of GeographyUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalPietermaritzburgSouth Africa
| | - Werner Hoek
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyGariep MediclinicKimberleySouth Africa
| | - Marion Bamford
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of GeosciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Riaz Y. Seedat
- Department of OtorhinolaryngologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Free StateBloemfonteinSouth Africa
| | | | - Jonny Peter
- Division of Allergology and Clinical ImmunologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Allergy and Immunology UnitUniversity of Cape Town Lung InstituteCape TownSouth Africa
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Davies JM, Smith BA, Milic A, Campbell B, Van Haeften S, Burton P, Keaney B, Lampugnani ER, Vicendese D, Medek D, Huete A, Erbas B, Newbigin E, Katelaris CH, Haberle SG, Beggs PJ. The AusPollen partnership project: Allergenic airborne grass pollen seasonality and magnitude across temperate and subtropical eastern Australia, 2016-2020. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113762. [PMID: 35779617 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis affects half a billion people globally, including a fifth of the Australian population. As the foremost outdoor allergen source, ambient grass pollen exposure is likely to be altered by climate change. The AusPollen Partnership aimed to standardize pollen monitoring and examine broad-scale biogeographical and meteorological factors influencing interannual variation in seasonality of grass pollen aerobiology in Australia. METHODS Daily airborne grass and other pollen concentrations in four eastern Australian cities separated by over 1700 km, were simultaneously monitored using Hirst-style samplers following the Australian Interim Pollen and Spore Monitoring Standard and Protocols over four seasons from 2016 to 2020. The grass seasonal pollen integral was determined. Gridded rainfall, temperature, and satellite-derived grassland sources up to 100 km from the monitoring site were analysed. RESULTS The complexity of grass pollen seasons was related to latitude with multiple major summer-autumn peaks in Brisbane, major spring and minor summer peaks in Sydney and Canberra, and single major spring peaks occurring in Melbourne. The subtropical site of Brisbane showed a higher proportion of grass out of total pollen than more temperate sites. The magnitude of the grass seasonal pollen integral was correlated with pasture greenness, rainfall and number of days over 30 °C, preceding and within the season, up to 100 km radii from monitoring sites. CONCLUSIONS Interannual fluctuations in Australian grass pollen season magnitude are strongly influenced by regional biogeography and both pre- and in-season weather. This first continental scale, Southern Hemisphere standardized aerobiology dataset forms the basis to track shifts in pollen seasonality, biodiversity and impacts on allergic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet M Davies
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia; Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Office of Research, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Beth Addison Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bradley Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pamela Burton
- Department of Immunology, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia
| | - Benedict Keaney
- The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Edwin R Lampugnani
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Don Vicendese
- The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia; The Department of Mathematics and Statistics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Danielle Medek
- Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, 4215, Australia
| | - Alfredo Huete
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, 2007, Australia
| | - Bircan Erbas
- School of Public Health, LaTrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Edward Newbigin
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Constance H Katelaris
- Department of Immunology, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia; School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia
| | - Simon G Haberle
- The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Paul J Beggs
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
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