Cloning and analysis of an actin-encoding cDNA from the dimorphic pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.

We have cloned an actin-encoding cDNA from the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, an important pathogen of humans. The predicted amino acid sequence as well as the general codon pattern of Histoplasma actin revealed the highest degree of similarity to the actin of the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans. Southern blot analysis determined that actin was encoded by a single copy in the Histoplasma genome.

Isolation and characterization of a calmodulin-encoding cDNA from the pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.

We describe in this paper the isolation and complete sequence of a calmodulin (CaM) encoding cDNA from the dimorphic pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum (GenBank accession U12505). The deduced amino acid sequence was identical to the CaM of Aspergillus nidulans and had only one amino acid difference from the CaM of Neurospora crassa. Saccharomyces cerevisiae CaM, however, has only about 60% amino acid identity compared with H.