Elevated CO₂ and Temperature Alter Grass Pollen's Ability to Modify Transcriptome and Function of the Nasal...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Immunology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Climate change is increasing pollen exposure.
• The impact of climate factors on pollen potency and epithelial responses is unknown.
• Pollen significantly affects respiratory health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how climate change affects grass pollen's capacity to mediate cell functions in human nasal epithelium.
• To understand the molecular and cellular responses of nasal epithelium to climate-modified grass pollen.

Main Methods:

• Exposure of reconstituted human nasal epithelial tissues to timothy and meadow foxtail grass pollen.
• Pollen was collected from grasses grown under elevated temperature and CO2 conditions simulating climate change.
• Analysis of toxicological and immunological responses, and transcriptomes.

Main Results:

• Pollen from current climate conditions altered gene and protein expression for cytokines and chemokines.
• Pollen exposure reduced epithelial barrier integrity, increasing expression of genes for tight junctions and repair.
• Climate-modified pollen affected gene expression related to vesicle-mediated transport, transcriptional/translational processes, and cilium assembly.

Conclusions:

• Future grass pollen may more severely disrupt cilia function and cytokine signaling in nasal epithelium.
• This disruption could impair immune activation and airway clearance.
• Altered gene expression patterns may lead to adverse systemic health outcomes.