Open AccessA novel approach for screening immunogenic proteins in Penicillium marneffei using the Δ AFMP1 Δ AFMP2 deletion mutant of Aspergillus fumigatus
Author(s) -
Woo Patrick C.Y.,
Chong Ken T.K.,
Lau Candy C.Y.,
Wong Samson S.Y.,
Lau Susanna K.P.,
Yuen Kwokyung
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00376.x
Subject(s) - aspergillus fumigatus , penicillium marneffei , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , mutant , virology , gene , biochemistry , coinfection , virus
Using serum from guinea‐pigs immunized with a Δ AFMP1 Δ AFMP2 deletion mutant of Aspergillus fumigatus to screen a cDNA library of A. fumigatus , we cloned a novel immunogenic 57‐kDa protein in A. fumigatus . We also cloned its 55‐kDa homologue in Penicillium marneffei , which was possibly related to amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism, with homologues present only in the subphylum Pezizomycotina of Ascomycota. The recombinant 55‐kDa protein of P. marneffei reacted strongly with guinea‐pig serum immunized with P. marneffei and with the sera of patients with P. marneffei infection. A similar approach could be applied to immunogenic protein screening in other microorganisms for serological diagnosis, epidemiological studies and the study of vaccines.