Particle-size distributions and seasonal diversity of allergenic and pathogenic fungi in outdoor air.

ABSTRACT: Fungi are ubiquitous in outdoor air, and their concentration, aerodynamic diameters and taxonomic composition have potentially important implications for human health. Although exposure to fungal allergens is considered a strong risk factor for asthma prevalence and severity, limitations in tracking fungal diversity in air have thus far prevented a clear understanding of their human pathogenic properties. This study used a cascade impactor for sampling, and quantitative real-time PCR plus 454 pyrosequencing for analysis to investigate seasonal, size-resolved fungal communities in outdoor air in an urban setting in the northeastern United States. From the 20 libraries produced with an average of ∼800 internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences (total 15 326 reads), 12 864 and 11 280 sequenc

SUBMITTER: Yamamoto N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3446800 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature