TABLE 2.
Results from reverse transcriptase PCR amplification of Pneumocystis transcripts from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from 10 patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia and from infected mouse lungsa
| cDNA source | PCR result for: |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| β-Tubulinb |
MAT transcription factors |
Pheromone receptors |
||||
| matMc | matMi | matPi | mam2 | map3 | ||
| P. jirovecii patient no.: | ||||||
| 1 | + | + | + | + | + | + |
| 2 | − | − | − | − | − | − |
| 3 | + | − | + | − | + | − |
| 4 | + | + | + | + | + | + |
| 5 | + | + | + | + | + | + |
| 6 | + | − | − | + | + | − |
| 7 | + | + | + | + | + | + |
| 8 | + | − | − | + | − | − |
| 9 | − | − | − | − | − | − |
| 11 | + | + | + | + | − | + |
| P. murina | + | + | + | + | + | + |
a
+, positive PCR result; −, negative PCR result. (Adapted from reference 47.)
b
Amplification of the β-tubulin transcripts was used as a control (30). It assessed adequate reverse transcriptase PCR by the absence of the intron in these PCR products. This control suggested that the negative PCR results obtained in these experiments are due to RNA degradation. The latter may have occurred during the uncontrolled period between collection of the samples from the patients and their arrival in our laboratory.