Fungus-specific translation elongation factor 3 gene present in Pneumocystis carinii.
Historically, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia has been the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with AIDS. Antiprotozoan drugs are effective in the treatment and prophylaxis of P. carinii pneumonia, which lends credence to the widely held view that P. carinii is a protozoan. However, recent genetic evidence suggests that P. carinii should be classified as a fungus. Translation elongation factor 3 (EF-3) is an essential, soluble translation component which is unique to fungal protein synthesis and is not required for protein synthesis in other eukaryotes. We have identified and isolated a gene for EF-3 from P. carinii, adding more evidence for this organism's assignment as a fungus.
Ypma-Wong
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MF
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine 92717.
Fonzi
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WA
Sypherd
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PS
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000235:genetics; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000235:genetics*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012440:Saccharomyces / Q000235:genetics; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C111584:YEF3 protein, S cerevisiae