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Analysis of the β‐Tubulin Genes from Enterocytozoon bieneusi Isolates from a Human and Rhesus Macaque
Author(s) -
AKIYOSHI DONNA E.,
WEISS LOUIS M.,
FENG XIAOCHUAN,
WILLIAMS BRYONY A. P.,
KEELING PATRICK J.,
ZHANG QUANSHUN,
TZIPORI SAUL
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2006.00140.x
Subject(s) - enterocytozoon bieneusi , biology , microsporidia , albendazole , protozoa , virology , microsporidiosis , macaque , tubulin , microbiology and biotechnology , diarrhea , rhesus macaque , genetics , zoology , microtubule , pathology , spore , paleontology , medicine
.Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most common and clinically significant microsporidium associated with chronic diarrhea and wasting in immunocompromised humans. Albendazole, which is effective against several helminths, protozoa, and microsporidia, is relatively ineffective against infections due to E. bieneusi . A likely explanation for the observed clinical resistance to albendazole was discovered from sequence analysis of the E. bieneusi β‐tubulin from isolates from an infected human and a naturally infected rhesus macaque. The β‐tubulin of E. bieneusi has a substitution at Glu 198 , which is one of six amino acids reported to be associated with benzimidazole sensitivity.