Genetic characterization of the UCS and Kex1 loci of Pneumocystis jirovecii

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2009 Feb;28(2):175-8. doi: 10.1007/s10096-008-0596-1. Epub 2008 Aug 21.

Abstract

Nucleotide variation in the Pneumocystis jirovecii upstream conserved sequence (UCS) and kexin-like serine protease (Kex1) loci was studied in pulmonary specimens from Portuguese HIV-positive patients. DNA was extracted and used for specific molecular sequence analysis. The number of UCS tandem repeats detected in 13 successfully sequenced isolates ranged from three (9 isolates, 69%) to four (4 isolates, 31%). A novel tandem repeat pattern and two novel polymorphisms were detected in the UCS region. For the Kex1 gene, the wild-type (24 isolates, 86%) was the most frequent sequence detected among the 28 sequenced isolates. Nevertheless, a nonsynonymous (1 isolate, 3%) and three synonymous (3 isolates, 11%) polymorphisms were detected and are described here for the first time.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / microbiology
  • Conserved Sequence / genetics*
  • DNA, Fungal / analysis*
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • HIV Seropositivity / complications
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pneumocystis carinii / genetics*
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / complications
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / microbiology*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Portugal
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Serine Endopeptidases / genetics*
  • Sputum / microbiology
  • Tandem Repeat Sequences

Substances

  • DNA, Fungal
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Kex1 protein, Pneumocystis jirovecii
  • Serine Endopeptidases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/EU431323
  • GENBANK/EU431324
  • GENBANK/EU431325
  • GENBANK/EU431326
  • GENBANK/EU431327
  • GENBANK/EU437385
  • GENBANK/EU797518
  • GENBANK/EU797519