title: Analysis of variation in tandem repeats in the intron of the major surface glycoprotein expression site of the human form of Pneumocystis carinii.
abstract: Variation in the tandem repeats in the expression site of the human-derived Pneumocystis carinii major surface glycoprotein gene was characterized by denaturing gel electrophoresis. The number of repeats in 147 isolates ranged from 2 to 6, with 2, 3, and 4 repeats being the most common. Sequence analysis identified 3 types of repeat units that differed by 1 nucleotide, which suggests a hierarchy of evolution of human-derived P. carinii. Examination of sequential samples obtained from 6 patients at an interval of 10-90 days showed an identical repeat pattern in each patient. However, in 2 of 4 patients with 2-3 different samples obtained within 4 days, different repeat patterns were observed among the samples. Quantifying the number of repeats by denaturing gel electrophoresis is a simple and rapid-typing method that can be used alone or in combination with other methods to study the epidemiology of P. carinii.
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Geetha
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kutty
authors.forename: Qiuyao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imamichi
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atzori
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beckers
authors.forename: Gena
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Groner
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Beard
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kovacs
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C077556:GPA protein, Pneumocystis carinii sp.