This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Carr, J.
Right arrow Articles by Shearer, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Carr, J.
Right arrow Articles by Shearer, G., Jr.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, December 1998, p. 6697-6703, Vol. 180, No. 24
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Genome Size, Complexity, and Ploidy of the Pathogenic Fungus Histoplasma capsulatum

Jeanne Carrdagger and Glenmore Shearer Jr.*

Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406

Received 12 June 1998/Accepted 16 October 1998

The genome size, complexity, and ploidy of the dimorphic pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum was determined by using DNA renaturation kinetics, genomic reconstruction, and flow cytometry. Nuclear DNA was isolated from two strains, G186AS and Downs, and analyzed by renaturation kinetics and genomic reconstruction with three putative single-copy genes (calmodulin, alpha -tubulin, and beta -tubulin). G186AS was found to have a genome of approximately 2.3 × 107 bp with less than 0.5% repetitive sequences. The Downs strain, however, was found to have a genome approximately 40% larger with more than 16 times more repetitive DNA. The Downs genome was determined to be 3.2 × 107 bp with approximately 8% repetitive DNA. To determine ploidy, the DNA mass per cell measured by flow cytometry was compared with the 1n genome estimate to yield a DNA index (DNA per cell/1n genome size). Strain G186AS was found to have a DNA index of 0.96, and Downs had a DNA index of 0.94, indicating that both strains are haploid. Genomic reconstruction and Southern blot data obtained with alpha - and beta -tubulin probes indicated that some genetic duplication has occurred in the Downs strain, which may be aneuploid or partially diploid.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: The University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, Box 5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406. Phone: (601) 266-4722. Fax: (601) 266-5797. E-mail: glen.shearer{at}usm.edu.

dagger Present address: William Beaumont Hospital, Dept. of Clinical Pathology, Royal Oak, MI 48073.


Journal of Bacteriology, December 1998, p. 6697-6703, Vol. 180, No. 24
0021-9193/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Butler, J. E., Wertz, N., Sun, J., Wang, H., Chardon, P., Piumi, F., Wells, K. (2004). Antibody Repertoire Development in Fetal and Neonatal Pigs. VII. Characterization of the Preimmune {kappa} Light Chain Repertoire. J. Immunol. 173: 6794-6805 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Magrini, V., Warren, W. C., Wallis, J., Goldman, W. E., Xu, J., Mardis, E. R., McPherson, J. D. (2004). Fosmid-Based Physical Mapping of the Histoplasma capsulatum Genome. Genome Res 14: 1603-1609 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hwang, L., Hocking-Murray, D., Bahrami, A. K., Andersson, M., Rine, J., Sil, A. (2003). Identifying Phase-specific Genes in the Fungal Pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum Using a Genomic Shotgun Microarray. Mol. Biol. Cell 14: 2314-2326 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bracca, A., Tosello, M. E., Girardini, J. E., Amigot, S. L., Gomez, C., Serra, E. (2003). Molecular Detection of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum in Human Clinical Samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 1753-1755 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sullivan, T. D., Rooney, P. J., Klein, B. S. (2002). Agrobacterium tumefaciens Integrates Transfer DNA into Single Chromosomal Sites of Dimorphic Fungi and Yields Homokaryotic Progeny from Multinucleate Yeast. Eukaryot Cell 1: 895-905 [Abstract] [Full Text]