TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR GENES FROM RAT PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII

Genes encoding the TFIID TATA-box binding protein (TBP) from two probable species of rat Pneumocystis carinii (prototype and variant) were sequenced. The two P. carinii TBP gene sequences were 91% identical to each other, and 65-77% identical to TBP genes from other species. A cDNA from one of the two P. carinii TBP genes was sequenced, which showed that four small introns resided in identical positions within the TBP genes from the prototype and variant rat P. carinii. Conservation of the 180 amino acids that constitute the conserved core of TBP was 97% between the P. carinii TBP, which were 95% and 97% identical to conserved core sequences of TBP from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe respectively.