title: Genomic and experimental evidence for a potential sexual cycle in the pathogenic thermal dimorphic fungus Penicillium marneffei.
abstract: All meiotic genes (except HOP1) and genes encoding putative pheromone processing enzymes, pheromone receptors and pheromone response pathways proteins in Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus nidulans and a putative MAT-1 alpha box mating-type gene were present in the Penicillium marneffei genome. A putative MAT-2 high-mobility group mating-type gene was amplified from a MAT-1 alpha box mating-type gene-negative P. marneffei strain. Among 37 P. marneffei patient strains, MAT-1 alpha box and MAT-2 high-mobility group mating-type genes were present in 23 and 14 isolates, respectively. We speculate that P. marneffei can potentially be a heterothallic fungus that does not switch mating type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Patrick C Y
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Ken T K
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Candy C Y
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Anna C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Susanna K P
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Kwok-yung
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D000072235:Mating Factor; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010407:Penicillium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D010455:Peptides; D000072235:Mating Factor