肺孢子虫(菌)的分子生物学研究进展——纪念发现百年历史

Progress on Molecular Biology of Pneumocystis——for Hundred Years since its Discovery

2009年为发现肺孢子菌的100周年。起初认为它是一种原虫,1988年后将其归类为一种不典型真菌。在肺孢子菌发现后的最初50年里,并未引起注意,但随后发现它对免疫机能低下的人群具有致病性,特别是证明由其所致的肺炎(PCP)是艾滋病(AIDS)的"标志病"后,引起了国内外研究者的极大关注,相关研究领域取得了很大进展。为纪念该病原发现100周年,本文就其生活史和代谢相关的分子生物学研究的新发现进行综述。

2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the first description of Pneumocystis,an organism that was initially classified as a protozoan and later in 1988,was phylogenetically reclassified in the fungal kingdom.The organism was ignored for its first 50 years but that has subsequently been recognized as an important pathogen in immunocompromised patients,especially patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome（AIDS）.This paper reviewed recent progress on the molecular biology,involving in the life cycle and metabolism of the organism.