ABSTRACT
Studies on surface antigens constitute a major part of the biochemical research performed on Pneumocystis. Surface antigens have garnered extensive attention for two reasons. First, they are of fundamental interest because they reside at the interface between host and pathogen and so would seem to be crucial for both the pathogen and the host response to its presence. Second, they are accessible because they are highly abundant proteins that are concentrated on the cell wall/surface, a part of the cell that is relatively easy to isolate.
