Do you know who is hitching a ride home with you for the holidays?
Well they’re tiny and buggy and they look like this: [Image of dust mite]
Hello everyone, Crystal here for DNews.
microscopic hitchhikers are everywhere.
We have millions of bacterial species crawling all over us right now but in addition to germs
and bacteria several species of creepy crawlers are taking advantage of our visits to grandma’s
house and skipping town themselves.
This may explain the findings of University of Michigan researchers when they examined
the genetic connection between house dust mite populations in the United States and
South Asia.
While genetic differences can still be detected in both populations, there is enough similarity
to conclude that mite populations are indeed linked genetically through migration across
continents.
This is important because house dust mites thrive in the mattresses, sofas and carpets,
of even the cleanest homes, and they are known to cause allergic reactions in more than 65
million people worldwide.
Gaining more information about genetic similarity and diversity in the dust mite population,
especially when looking at variations in the protein responsible for human allergic reactions,
will give scientists a better chance at addressing how and why these allergies occur.
The scientists involved in this international effort chose to study the geographical diversity
of the group 1 allergen gene because this gene encodes for the most important allergy-causing
protein in house dust mites.
An inactive form of this protein is what is used as part of the standard skin-prick test
for allergies.
Making the test more specific by including the regionally appropriate genetic variant
of the inactivated protein could make the allergy test more accurate and help more people
identify the cause of their allergy symptoms.
Interestingly, according to the authors of the study, geographical variation in group
1 allergen proteins has not been extensively studied (at least not in the U.S.).
The researchers examined genetic sequences from American house dust mites (Dermatophagoides
farinae), and identified 14 mutations along the length of the group 1 allergen gene.
Most of the mutations didn’t affect the proteins’ structure or function, but the
unexpected result was the discovery that American dust mites have bred with mites from South
Asia!
We know this because a rare mutation in the allergen protein, previously only seen in
a single population of South Asian dust mites popped up among the American population.
So the next time you sit down on an airplane to travel to somewhere exotic, take a moment
to think about all the hitchhikers you’re bringing with you, and the ways you might
unknowingly be contributing to genetic diversity and advancing allergy science!
How do you feel about bugs sharing your seat on the plane?
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You can also come find me on twitter at PolycrystalHD