Penicillium marneffei antigenic Protein 1

Abstract

Disclosed is a Penicillium marneffei PMAP1 polypeptide and DNA(RNA) encoding such PMAP1 polypeptide. Also provided is a procedure for producing such polypeptide by recombinant DNA techniques and a procedure for generating antibodies against the said polypeptide. Also disclosed is a method of using such polypeptide and the antibodies against it for the diagnosis of systemic infections of Penicillium marneffei by detecting the presence of the specific antibodies as well as the PMAP1 protein antigen in clinical specimens taken from suspected patients. Also provided are methods of using the PMAP1 DNA(RNA) or protein sequence to identify and to clone its homologous genes from other pathogenic fungi. Therefore, the identification of PMAP1 homologous genes from other pathogenic fungi are made possible with this invention. Also described is a therapeutic regimen using the antibodies against Penicillium infection. Also provided is a method of immunization against the infection of Penicillium.