PMB — Aspergillus fumigatus

Summary

AFU5G04260, designated PMB (also known as AfPMB, AfCAN2, AfALP1, and LYP1) on Aspergillus fumigatus chromosome 5, encodes a putative arginine transporter belonging to the amino acid permease family. The gene product exhibits basic amino acid permease activity and is associated with transmembrane transporter activity for L-arginine, L-lysine, and L-histidine. PMB is associated with the plasma membrane, eisosome, and fungal cell wall, and is linked to biological processes including amino acid transport, innate immunity, immune evasion, phagocytosis, sensitization, biofilm formation, filamentous growth, secretion, ergosterol anabolism, protein breakdown, and the meiotic cell cycle. Phenotypic associations include abnormal nitrogen utilization, increased polyploidy and aneuploidy, altered cell cycle progression, decreased apoptosis, increased freeze-thaw resistance, decreased cold sensitivity, and abnormal plasma membrane morphology. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to reduced virulence and altered biofilm formation.