Evidence for positive selection in putative virulence factors within the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis species complex.

ABSTRACT: Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a dimorphic fungus that is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, the most important prevalent systemic mycosis in Latin America. Recently, the existence of three genetically isolated groups in P. brasiliensis was demonstrated, enabling comparative studies of molecular evolution among P. brasiliensis lineages. Thirty-two gene sequences coding for putative virulence factors were analyzed to determine whether they were under positive selection. Our maximum likelihood-based approach yielded evidence for selection in 12 genes that are involved in different cellular processes. An in-depth analysis of four of these genes showed them to be either antigenic or involved in pathogenesis. Here, we present evidence indicating that several replacement mutations

SUBMITTER: Matute DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2553485 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature