Functional Characterization of Pneumocystis carinii Inositol Transporter 1.

ABSTRACT: Fungi in the genus Pneumocystis live in the lungs of mammals, where they can cause a fatal pneumonia (PCP [Pneumocystis pneumonia]) in hosts with compromised immune systems. The absence of a continuous in vitro culture system for any species of Pneumocystis has led to limited understanding of these fungi, especially for the discovery of new therapies. We recently reported that Pneumocystis carinii, Pneumocystis murina, and most significantly, Pneumocystis jirovecii lack both enzymes necessary for myo-inositol biosynthesis but contain genes with homologies to fungal myo-inositol transporters. Since myo-inositol is essential for eukaryotic viability, the primary transporter, ITR1, was functionally and structurally characterized in P. carinii The predicted structure of P. carinii ITR1 (PcITR1

SUBMITTER: Cushion MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5156303 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature