Comparative genomics of pneumocystis species suggests the absence of genes for myo-inositol synthesis and reliance on inositol transport and metabolism.

These findings are highly significant in light of the fact that genes encoding inositol-1-phosphate synthase (INO1, EC 5.5.1.4), an enzyme essential for the synthesis of inositol from glucose-6-phosphate to myo -inositol 1-phosphate, were absent from each of the 3 genomes, suggesting that Pneumocystis fungi, like S. pombe , require an external source of inositol and are therefore inositol auxotrophs.

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