Abstract
Pneumocystis pneumonia or PCP is caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii, an obligate parasite of the human lung. In this study P. jirovecii genomic sequence encoding FAS, a trifunctional protein including dihydroneopterin aldolase (DHNA), hydroxymethyldihydropterin pyrophosphokinase (PPPK) and dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) were identified by PCR amplification from fixed broncheolar lavage samples from patients having Pneumocystis pneumonia. The P. jirovecii trifunctional DHNA-PPPK-DHPS genes (PjFAS) showed a high degree of conservation with the rat Pneumocystis carinii and P. carinii f. sp. macaca sequences. To test the functionality of the PjFAS sequences introns were removed followed by cloning and expression of PjFAS sequences in a DHPS-disrupted Escherichia coli strain. Complementation depended on the presence of N-terminal FAS sequences in addition to a glutathione S- transferase tag to the N-terminus of PjFAS. Functional complementation allowed evaluation of DHPS mutations implicated with sulfa drug resistance.
Publication types
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Aldehyde-Lyases / genetics
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology
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Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / microbiology
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Conserved Sequence / genetics
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DNA, Fungal / chemistry
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DNA, Fungal / isolation & purification
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Dihydropteroate Synthase / genetics
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Diphosphotransferases / genetics
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Drug Resistance, Fungal / genetics
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Escherichia coli / genetics
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Escherichia coli / physiology
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Fungal Proteins / genetics*
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Fungal Proteins / metabolism
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Genes, Fungal
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Genetic Complementation Test
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Humans
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Introns / genetics
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Pneumocystis carinii / enzymology*
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Pneumocystis carinii / genetics*
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Pneumocystis carinii / isolation & purification
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Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / microbiology
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Recombinant Proteins / genetics
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Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
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Sequence Analysis, DNA
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Sulfanilamides / pharmacology
Substances
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Anti-Infective Agents
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DNA, Fungal
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FasA protein, Pneumocystis
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FasB protein, Pneumocystis
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Fungal Proteins
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Recombinant Proteins
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Sulfanilamides
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Dihydropteroate Synthase
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Diphosphotransferases
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2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-hydroxymethyldihydropteridine pyrophosphokinase
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Aldehyde-Lyases
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dihydroneopterin aldolase