Expression pattern of the Pneumocystis jirovecii major surface glycoprotein superfamily in patients with pneumonia.

Schmid-Siegert, Emanuel; Richard, Sophie; Luraschi, Amanda; Mühlethaler, Konrad; Pagni, Marco; Hauser, Philippe M (2021). Expression pattern of the Pneumocystis jirovecii major surface glycoprotein superfamily in patients with pneumonia. The journal of infectious diseases, 223(2), pp. 310-318. Oxford University Press 10.1093/infdis/jiaa342

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BACKGROUND

The human pathogen Pneumocystis jirovecii harbors six families of major surface glycoproteins (MSG) encoded by a single gene superfamily. MSGs are presumably responsible for antigenic variation and adhesion to host cells. The genomic organization suggests that a single member of family I is expressed at a time per cell, whereas members of the other families are simultaneously expressed.

METHODS

We analyzed RNA sequences expressed in several clinical samples, using specific weighted profiles for reads sorting and single nucleotide variants calling to estimate the diversity of the expressed genes.

RESULTS

A number of different isoforms of at least four MSG families were expressed simultaneously, including of family I for which confirmation was obtained in the wet laboratory.

CONCLUSION

These observations suggest that every single P. jirovecii population is made of individual cells with distinct surface properties. Our results enhance our understanding of the unique antigenic variation system and cell surface structure of P. jirovecii.

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