Allergens of Regional Importance in Korea

Allergen repertoire should reflect the region's climate, flora, and dining culture to allow for a better diagnosis. In Korea, tree pollens of oak and birch in the spring in conjunction with weed pollens of mugwort, ragweed, and Japanese hop are the main causes of seasonal allergic rhinitis. More specifically, the sawtooth oak in Korea and the Japanese hop in East Asia make a difference from western countries. Among food allergens, the sensitization to silkworm pupa and buckwheat is also common in Korean patients. Honey bee venom due to apitherapy in traditional medicine and Asian needle ant, Pachycondyla chinensis, are important causes of anaphylaxis in Korea. Climate change, frequent overseas traveling, and international product exchanges make situations more complicated. Ragweed, for example, was not native to Korea, but invaded the country in the early 1950s. Recently, Japanese hop and Asian needle ants have been recognized as important invasive ecosystem disturbing species in western countries. However, the molecular properties of the component allergens from these unique culprit allergens have been poorly characterized. The present review summarizes the molecular studies on the allergens of regional importance in Korea.

Nest Emigration Behavior of the Asian Needle Ant, Brachyponera (=Pachycondyla) chinensis Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Ant colonies change nest location in response to physical disturbance, climate fluctuation, and resource availability. During the emigration process, worker recruitment is vital to ensuring that individual colony members are moved to the new nest site. Recruitment methods used during emigration differ between ant species. In a laboratory study, we investigated the recruitment behaviors of the invasive Asian needle ant, Brachyponera (=Pachycondyla) chinensis (Emery), during nest emigration. Subsets of P. chinensis worker ants were subjected to physical nest disturbance, and the recruitment methods and associated behaviors were recorded. Before recruitment to the new nest location began, B. chinensis ants organized into three distinctive groups: queen-tending, brood-tending, and scouting. Once the new nest site was identified, scout ants began physically transporting nestmates into the new harborage. Transport rates increased with time in the first 30 minutes and did not change during the 30to 55 minute interval when brood was transported. However, adult transport rate increased again after brood transport was completed and decreased after 90 minutes. These studies are the first to identify the recruitment methods, division of labor, and social organization behavior of B. chinensis during nest emigration.

On the evolution of the species complex Pachycondyla chinensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), including the origin of its invasive form and description of a new species

Ants are one of the most successful and widespread organisms in the world. Although ants of the genus Pachycondyla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) are predominantly tropical in distribution, Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery) is especially abundant in temperate zones in Asia. Recently, P. chinensis has also become an abundant invasive ant species in the United States. However, it was well-known that the Pachycondyla chinensis species complex remained unresolved. Our molecular and morphological results allow us to distinguish two species in the species complex: the species P. chinensis and the new cryptic species P. nakasujii sp. nov., and these two species are widely and sympatrically distributed and abundant in temperate forests in Japan. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis showed that P. chinensis has been introduced into the United States from Japan. In conclusion, our finding of the new species P. nakasujii suggests that much remains undiscovered even in biologically fascinating and well-studied organisms.