Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Richard, S.
Data de Publicação: 2018
Outros Autores: Almeida, João Manuel Gonçalves Couceiro Feio de, Cissé, O. H., Luraschi, A., Nielsen, O., Pagni, M., Hauser, P. M.
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02201-17
Resumo: Swiss National Science Foundation - 151780 ; 310030_146135
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spelling Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungsComplementationFission yeastGene expressionHeterologous gene expressionRT-PCRMicrobiologyVirologySDG 3 - Good Health and Well-beingSwiss National Science Foundation - 151780 ; 310030_146135Fungi of the genus Pneumocystis are obligate parasites that colonize mammals’ lungs and are host species specific. Pneumocystis jirovecii and Pneumocystis carinii infect, respectively, humans and rats. They can turn into opportunistic pathogens in immunosuppressed hosts, causing severe pneumonia. Their cell cycle is poorly known, mainly because of the absence of an established method of culture in vitro. It is thought to include both asexual and sexual phases. Comparative genomic analysis suggested that their mode of sexual reproduction is primary homothallism involving a single mating type (MAT) locus encompassing plus and minus genes (matMc, matMi, and matPi; Almeida et al., mBio 6:e02250-14, 2015). Thus, each strain would be capable of sexual reproduction alone (self-fertility). However, this is a working hypothesis derived from computational analyses that is, in addition, based on the genome sequences of single isolates. Here, we tested this hypothesis in the wet laboratory. The function of the P. jirovecii and P. carinii matMc genes was ascertained by restoration of sporulation in the corresponding mutant of fission yeast. Using PCR, we found the same single MAT locus in all P. jirovecii isolates and showed that all three MAT genes are often concomitantly expressed during pneumonia. Extensive homology searches did not identify other types of MAT transcription factors in the genomes or cis-acting motifs flanking the MAT locus that could have been involved in MAT switching or silencing. Our observations suggest that Pneumocystis sexuality through primary homothallism is obligate within host lungs to complete the cell cycle, i.e., produce asci necessary for airborne transmission to new hosts. IMPORTANCE Fungi of the genus Pneumocystis colonize the lungs of mammals. In immunosuppressed human hosts, Pneumocystis jirovecii may cause severe pneumonia that can be fatal. This disease is one of the most frequent life-threatening invasive fungal infections in humans. The analysis of the genome sequences of these un-cultivable pathogens suggested that their sexual reproduction involves a single partner (self-fertilization). Here, we report laboratory experiments that support this hypothesis. The function of the three genes responsible for sexual differentiation was ascertained by the restoration of sexual reproduction in the corresponding mutant of another fungus. As predicted by self-fertilization, all P. jirovecii isolates harbored the same three genes that were often concomitantly expressed within human lungs during infection. Our observations suggest that the sexuality of these pathogens relies on the self-fertility of each isolate and is obligate within host lungs to complete the cell cycle and allow dissemination of the fungus to new hosts.UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences UnitDCV - Departamento de Ciências da VidaRUNRichard, S.Almeida, João Manuel Gonçalves Couceiro Feio deCissé, O. H.Luraschi, A.Nielsen, O.Pagni, M.Hauser, P. M.2019-02-25T23:16:00Z2018-01-012018-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02201-17eng2161-2129PURE: 3736396http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043533793&partnerID=8YFLogxKhttps://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02201-17info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-03-11T04:29:17Zoai:run.unl.pt:10362/61642Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-20T03:33:39.801209Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs
title Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs
spellingShingle Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs
Richard, S.
Complementation
Fission yeast
Gene expression
Heterologous gene expression
RT-PCR
Microbiology
Virology
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
title_short Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs
title_full Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs
title_fullStr Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs
title_full_unstemmed Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs
title_sort Functional and expression analyses of the pneumocystis mat genes suggest obligate sexuality through primary homothallism within host lungs
author Richard, S.
author_facet Richard, S.
Almeida, João Manuel Gonçalves Couceiro Feio de
Cissé, O. H.
Luraschi, A.
Nielsen, O.
Pagni, M.
Hauser, P. M.
author_role author
author2 Almeida, João Manuel Gonçalves Couceiro Feio de
Cissé, O. H.
Luraschi, A.
Nielsen, O.
Pagni, M.
Hauser, P. M.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit
DCV - Departamento de Ciências da Vida
RUN
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Richard, S.
Almeida, João Manuel Gonçalves Couceiro Feio de
Cissé, O. H.
Luraschi, A.
Nielsen, O.
Pagni, M.
Hauser, P. M.
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Complementation
Fission yeast
Gene expression
Heterologous gene expression
RT-PCR
Microbiology
Virology
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
topic Complementation
Fission yeast
Gene expression
Heterologous gene expression
RT-PCR
Microbiology
Virology
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
description Swiss National Science Foundation - 151780 ; 310030_146135
publishDate 2018
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2018-01-01
2018-01-01T00:00:00Z
2019-02-25T23:16:00Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02201-17
url https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02201-17
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 2161-2129
PURE: 3736396
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043533793&partnerID=8YFLogxK
https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02201-17
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron:RCAAP
instname_str Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron_str RCAAP
institution RCAAP
reponame_str Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
collection Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
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