Asthma Allergy Immunology

Asthma Allergy Immunology

2010, Vol 8, Num, 2     (Pages: 108-111)

Starch grains in Turkish Betula (birch) and Corylus (hazel) pollens

Şenol ALAN 1, Özlem YILDIRIM 2, N. Münevver PINAR 2,

1 Zonguldak Karaelmas Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Biyoloji Bölümü, Zonguldak, Türkiye
2 Ankara Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi, Biyoloji Bölümü, Ankara, Türkiye

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Objective: Pollens are one of the most effective factor that cause seasonal allergic rhinitis. Pollen allergens may localize different parts of pollen. Allergens are especially bind with starch, which localized at cytoplasm can come out of pollen depending on meteorological factors mainly in rainy weather.

Materials and Methods: In this study, Betula and Corylus pollens that cause allergic reactions were collected from Turkey, have been studied at light and transmission electron microscopy.

Results and Conclusion: Starch grains that carrying Bet v 1 allergens were detected in Betula and Corylus pollen. Shape of grains was prolate-ellipsoidal and 0.5-2 μm in size. Also exine and intine layer of pollen and starch granules were observed in transmission electron microscopy.

Keywords : Betula, Corylus, pollen, starch granules, allergen, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), light microscopy (LM)