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Analysis of Pneumocystis carinii Cyst Wall I. Evidence for an Outer Surface Membrane
Author(s) -
STEFANO JAMIE A.,
CUSHION MELANIE T.,
SLEIGHT RICHARD G.,
WALZER PETER D.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1990.tb01167.x
Subject(s) - pneumocystis carinii , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , cyst , bacterial outer membrane , bacteria , membrane , biochemistry , pathology , virology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , medicine , genetics , escherichia coli , gene , pneumocystis jirovecii
. It has long been thought that the cyst form of Pneumocystis carinii , which can resist host defenses and antimicrobial drugs, is responsible for relapses of P. carinii pneumonia. The thick wall of the cyst is immunogenic and rich in glucosyl/mannosyl and N‐acetyl‐D‐glucosamine residues. In this study we have demonstrated the presence of a hitherto unreported outer membrane in the cyst wall of P. carinii . This membrane was detected by a combination of techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, freeze‐fracture electron microscopy, and membrane labeling with fluorescent lipid analogs following treatment of P. carinii cysts from infected rats for 30 min with Zymolyase, a β‐1–3 glucanase. As in gram‐negative bacteria and blue‐green algae, this 2nd membrane may have an important role in osmoregulation and nutrient utilization; it may also mediate the interaction of P. carinii with its host and serve as a target for drug therapy.