Genetic characterization of the UCS and Kex1 loci of Pneumocystis jirovecii.
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.
Esteves
F
F
Unidade de Protozoários Oportunistas/VIH e Outras Protozooses-UPMM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal.
Tavares
A
A
Costa
M C
MC
Gaspar
J
J
Antunes
F
F
Matos
O
O
D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D045363:Pneumocystis carinii / Q000235:genetics*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011174:Portugal; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C470926:Kex1 protein, Pneumocystis jirovecii; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases