Project description:Keratinolytic proteases secreted by dermatophytes are likely to be virulence-related factors. Microsporum canis, the main agent of dermatophytosis in dogs and cats, causes a zoonosis that is frequently reported. Using Aspergillus fumigatus metalloprotease genomic sequence (MEP) as a probe, three genes (MEP1, MEP2, and MEP3) were isolated from an M. canis genomic library. They presented a quite-high percentage of identity with both A. fumigatus MEP and Aspergillus oryzae neutral protease I genes. At the amino acid level, they all contained an HEXXH consensus sequence, confirming that these M. canis genes (MEP genes) encode a zinc-containing metalloprotease gene family. Furthermore, MEP3 was found to be the gene encoding a previously isolated M. canis 43.5-kDa keratinolytic metalloprotease, and was successfully expressed as an active recombinant enzyme in Pichia pastoris. Reverse transcriptase nested PCR performed on total RNA extracted from the hair of M. canis-infected guinea pigs showed that at least MEP2 and MEP3 are produced during the infection process. This is the first report describing the isolation of a gene family encoding potential virulence-related factors in dermatophytes.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level changes in Pichia stipitis CBS 6054 grown aerobically in xylose, compared to the same strain grown aerobically in glucose. A six array study using total RNA recovered from three separate cultures of Pichia stipitis CBS 6054 grown in glucose and three separate cultures of Pichia stipitis CBS 6054 grown in xylose. Each array measures the expression level of 374,100 probes (average probe length 53.6 +/- 4.1 nt) tiled across the Pichia stipitis CBS 6054 genome with a median spacing distance of 33 nt. During data processing, probes are filtered to include only those probes corresponding to annotated protein-coding genes.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level changes in Pichia stipitis CBS 6054 grown aerobically in xylose, compared to the same strain grown aerobically in glucose.
