Pollen and male flowers of Cupressus sempervirens transcriptome

Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is a medium-sized conifer naturally occurring near the eastern Mediterranean Basin and in the Middle East. The pollen of Cupressus trees is generally highly allergenic, and Italian cypress is one of the major causes of pollinosis in Europe. This study aimed to determine the gene sequence of unidentified allergens in Italian cypress by RNA-seq of pollen and male flowers. New allergen candidate sequences were identified by Illumina sequencing and de novo assembly, and their expression levels in the two tissues were compared. These new allergen candidates will be tested for their actual allergenicity.