       Document 0152
 DOCN  M9580152
 TI    Polymorphism of the thymidylate synthase gene of Pneumocystis carinii
       from different host species.
 DT    9506
 AU    Mazars E; Odberg-Ferragut C; Dei-Cas E; Fourmaux MN; Aliouat EM;
       Brun-Pascaud M; Mougeot G; Camus D; INSERM (U. 42), Villeneuve d'Ascq,
       France.
 SO    J Eukaryot Microbiol. 1995 Jan-Feb;42(1):26-32. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/95245322
 AB    Pneumocystis carinii is an opportunistic agent found in the lung of
       various mammals which often causes severe pneumonia in immunocompromised
       humans, especially in AIDS patients. In the past several years
       significant additions have been made to the collection of knowledge we
       have concerning the genetic diversity of P. carinii. These additions
       provide new understanding of Pneumocystis transmission and the effect of
       possible reservoirs of Pneumocystis in the various species. In this
       study, a 400-bp fragment of the thymidylate synthase (TS) gene of P.
       carinii has been amplified by PCR from 43 parasite isolates obtained
       from 4 mammalian host species: rat, mouse, rabbit and human. A probe
       selected from the TS gene sequence of rat-derived P. carinii was
       hybridized with the amplified products from rat- and mouse-derived P.
       carinii, but not with rabbit or human P. carinii DNA. Restriction
       profiles were performed on amplified fragments from all isolates, and
       the 4 nucleotide sequences of the TS gene fragment amplified from rat,
       mouse, rabbit and human P. carinii were determined. Differences were
       detected in the gene fragment in P. carinii isolates from the 4 host
       species; however no difference was revealed in P. carinii isolates
       within a single host species, whatever the host strain or its geographic
       origin. Thus, the sequence differences of the P. carinii TS gene
       appeared as host-species specific. A specific probe which recognized all
       human P. carinii isolates was defined.
 DE    Amino Acid Sequence  Animal  Base Sequence  DNA Probes  Genes,
       Fungal/*GENETICS  Human  Mice  Molecular Sequence Data  Pneumocystis
       carinii/ENZYMOLOGY/*GENETICS  Polymerase Chain Reaction  *Polymorphism,
       Restriction Fragment Length  Rabbits  Rats  Sequence Analysis, DNA
       Sequence Homology, Amino Acid  Species Specificity  Support, Non-U.S.
       Gov't  Thymidylate Synthetase/*GENETICS  Variation (Genetics)/GENETICS
       JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

