Development and Field Evaluation of Transgenic Ryegrass (\u3ci\u3eLolium\u3c/i\u3e Spp.) with Down-Regulation of Main Pollen Allergens

Ryegrass (Lolium spp.) pollen is a widespread source of airborne allergens and is a major cause of hayfever and seasonal allergic asthma, which affect approximately 25% of the population in cool temperate climates. The main allergens of ryegrass pollen are the proteins Lol p 1 and Lol p 2. These proteins belong to two major classes of grass pollen allergens to which over 90% of pollen-allergic patients are sensitive. The functional role in planta of these pollen allergen proteins remains largely unknown. The generation, analysis and field evaluation of transgenic plants with reduced levels of the main ryegrass pollen allergens, Lol p 1 and Lol p 2 in the most important worldwide cultivated ryegrass species, perennial ryegrass (L. perenne L.) and Italian ryegrass (L. multiflorum Lam.) are described