In vitro mating of Colombian isolates of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex
Keywords:
Cryptococcus neoformans, phenotype, in vitro, genes, fungal
Abstract
Introduction. Within the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex, two species and five serotypes are recognized: C. neoformans (var. grubii, serotype A; var. neoformans, serotype D and a hybrid, serotype AD) and C. gattii (serotypes B and C). Mating types a and a are designated by a single locus, with the mating type a being most prevalent in serotype A and D strains.Objective. To evaluate the ability of Colombian isolates of the C. neoformans species complex to mate in vitro with tester strains of the opposite mating type.
Materials and methods. Fifty three clinical isolates were included in this study, 33 C. neoformans var. grubii serotype A, 4 C. neoformans var. neoformans serotype D, all mating type a, and 16 C. gattii, 13 serotype B (mating type a) and 3 serotype C (mating type a ), were mixed on V8 juice agar, using a modified method, with the appropriate tester strains to determine the mating types in vitro.
Results. Mating studies revealed that 9 of 33 (27.3%) serotype A isolates and 6 of 13 (46.2%) serotype B isolates were able to mate. Clamp connections and basidia with basidiospores were observed microscopically, indicating that the mating process had occurred. All mating competent serotype A strains were mating type alpha and the serotype B mating competent strains were mating type a.
Conclusion. This is the first report of the determination of the mating ability of Colombian Cryptococcus neoformans isolates to mate in vitro with appropriate tester strains, which is of great importance to study the propagation of the fungus around the globe.
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References
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2. Franzot SP, Salkin IF, Casadevall A. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii: a separate varietal status for Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A isolates. J Clin Microbiol. 1999;37:838-40.
3. Boekhout T, Theelen B, Diaz M, Fell JW, Hop WC, Abeln EC, et al. Hybrid genotypes in the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. Microbiology. 2001;147:891-907.
4. Meyer W, Marszewska K, Amirmostofian M, Igreja RP, Hardke C, Methling K, et al. Molecular typing of global isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans by polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA- a pilot study to standardize techniques on which to base a detailed epidemiological survey. Electrophoresis. 1999;20:1790-9.
5. Kwon-Chung K, Boekhout T, Fell J, Diaz M. Proposal to conserve the name Cryptococcus gattii against C. hondurianus and C. bacillisporus (Basidiomycota, Hymenomycetes, Tremellomycetidae). Taxon. 2002;51:804-6.
6. Bovers M, Hagen F, Kuramae EE, Diaz MR, Spanjaard L, Dromer F, et al. Unique hybrids between the fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. FEMS Yeast Res. 2006;6:599-607.
7. Ellis DH, Pfeiffer TJ. Natural habitat of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii. J Clin Microbiol. 1990;28:1642-4.
8. Sorrell TC, Ellis DH. Ecology of Cryptococcus neoformans. Rev Iberoam Micol. 1997;14:42-3.
9. Meyer W, Castañeda A, Jackson S, Huynh M, Castañeda E, Iberoamerican Cryptococcal Study Group. Molecular typing of Iberoamerican Cryptococcus neoformans isolates. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003;9:189-95.
10. Stephen C, Lester S, Black W, Fyfe M, Raverty S. Multispecies outbreak of cryptococcosis on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Can Vet J. 2002;43:792-4.
11. Idnurm A, Bahn YS, Nielsen K, Lin X, Fraser JA, Heitman J. Deciphering the model pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2005;3:753-64.
12. Kwon-Chung KJ. Morphogenesis of Filobasidiella neoformans, the sexual state of Cryptococcus neoformans. Mycologia. 1976;68:821-33.
13. Kwon-Chung KJ, Edman JC, Wickes BL. Genetic association of mating types and virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans. Infect Immun. 1992;60:602-5.
14. Kidd SE, Hagen F, Tscharke LR, Huynh M, Bartlett KH, Fyfe M, et al. A rare genotype of Cryptococcus gattii caused the cryptococcosis outbreak on Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2004;101:17258-63.
15. Fraser JA, Giles SS, Wenink EC, Geunes-Boyer SG, Wright JR, Diezmann S et al. Same sex mating and the origin of the Vancouver Island Cryptococcus gattii outbreak. Nature. 2005;437:1360-4.
16. Halliday CL, Bui T, Krockenberger M, Malik R, Ellis DH, Carter DA. Presence of a and a mating types in environmental and clinical collections of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii strains from Australia. J Clin Microbiol. 1999;37:2920-6.
17. Escandón P, Sánchez A, Martínez M, Meyer W, Castañeda E. Molecular epidemiology of clinical and environmental isolates of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex reveals a high genetic diversity and the presence of the molecular type VGII mating type a in Colombia. FEMS Yeast Res. 2006;6:625-35.
18. Fraser JA, Subaran RL, Nichols CB, Heitman J. Recapitulation of the sexual cycle of the primary fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii: implications for an outbreak on Vancouver Island, Canada. Eukaryot Cell 2003;2:1036-45.
19. Kwon-Chung KJ. A new species of Filobasidiella, the sexual state of Cryptococcus neoformans B and C serotypes. Mycologia. 1976;68:942-6.
20. Wickes BL, Mayorga ME, Edman U, Edman JC. Dimorphism and haploid fruiting in Cryptococcus neoformans: association with the a mating type. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1996;93:7327-31.
21. Halliday CL, Carter DA. Clonal reproduction and limited dispersal in an environmental population of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii isolates from Australia. J Clin Microbiol. 2003;41:703-11.
22. Kwon-Chung KJ, Bennett JE, Rhodes JC. Taxonomic studies on Filobasidiella species and their anamorphs. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1982;48:25-38.
23. Ordóñez N, Castañeda E. Serotipificación de aislamientos clínicos y del medio ambiente de Cryptococcus neoformans en Colombia. Biomédica. 1994;14:131-9.
24. Viviani MA, Esposto MC, Cogliati M, Montagna MT, Wickes BL. Isolation of a Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A MATa strain from the Italian environment. Med Mycol. 2001;41:383-6.
2. Franzot SP, Salkin IF, Casadevall A. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii: a separate varietal status for Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A isolates. J Clin Microbiol. 1999;37:838-40.
3. Boekhout T, Theelen B, Diaz M, Fell JW, Hop WC, Abeln EC, et al. Hybrid genotypes in the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. Microbiology. 2001;147:891-907.
4. Meyer W, Marszewska K, Amirmostofian M, Igreja RP, Hardke C, Methling K, et al. Molecular typing of global isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans by polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA- a pilot study to standardize techniques on which to base a detailed epidemiological survey. Electrophoresis. 1999;20:1790-9.
5. Kwon-Chung K, Boekhout T, Fell J, Diaz M. Proposal to conserve the name Cryptococcus gattii against C. hondurianus and C. bacillisporus (Basidiomycota, Hymenomycetes, Tremellomycetidae). Taxon. 2002;51:804-6.
6. Bovers M, Hagen F, Kuramae EE, Diaz MR, Spanjaard L, Dromer F, et al. Unique hybrids between the fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. FEMS Yeast Res. 2006;6:599-607.
7. Ellis DH, Pfeiffer TJ. Natural habitat of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii. J Clin Microbiol. 1990;28:1642-4.
8. Sorrell TC, Ellis DH. Ecology of Cryptococcus neoformans. Rev Iberoam Micol. 1997;14:42-3.
9. Meyer W, Castañeda A, Jackson S, Huynh M, Castañeda E, Iberoamerican Cryptococcal Study Group. Molecular typing of Iberoamerican Cryptococcus neoformans isolates. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003;9:189-95.
10. Stephen C, Lester S, Black W, Fyfe M, Raverty S. Multispecies outbreak of cryptococcosis on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Can Vet J. 2002;43:792-4.
11. Idnurm A, Bahn YS, Nielsen K, Lin X, Fraser JA, Heitman J. Deciphering the model pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2005;3:753-64.
12. Kwon-Chung KJ. Morphogenesis of Filobasidiella neoformans, the sexual state of Cryptococcus neoformans. Mycologia. 1976;68:821-33.
13. Kwon-Chung KJ, Edman JC, Wickes BL. Genetic association of mating types and virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans. Infect Immun. 1992;60:602-5.
14. Kidd SE, Hagen F, Tscharke LR, Huynh M, Bartlett KH, Fyfe M, et al. A rare genotype of Cryptococcus gattii caused the cryptococcosis outbreak on Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2004;101:17258-63.
15. Fraser JA, Giles SS, Wenink EC, Geunes-Boyer SG, Wright JR, Diezmann S et al. Same sex mating and the origin of the Vancouver Island Cryptococcus gattii outbreak. Nature. 2005;437:1360-4.
16. Halliday CL, Bui T, Krockenberger M, Malik R, Ellis DH, Carter DA. Presence of a and a mating types in environmental and clinical collections of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii strains from Australia. J Clin Microbiol. 1999;37:2920-6.
17. Escandón P, Sánchez A, Martínez M, Meyer W, Castañeda E. Molecular epidemiology of clinical and environmental isolates of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex reveals a high genetic diversity and the presence of the molecular type VGII mating type a in Colombia. FEMS Yeast Res. 2006;6:625-35.
18. Fraser JA, Subaran RL, Nichols CB, Heitman J. Recapitulation of the sexual cycle of the primary fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii: implications for an outbreak on Vancouver Island, Canada. Eukaryot Cell 2003;2:1036-45.
19. Kwon-Chung KJ. A new species of Filobasidiella, the sexual state of Cryptococcus neoformans B and C serotypes. Mycologia. 1976;68:942-6.
20. Wickes BL, Mayorga ME, Edman U, Edman JC. Dimorphism and haploid fruiting in Cryptococcus neoformans: association with the a mating type. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1996;93:7327-31.
21. Halliday CL, Carter DA. Clonal reproduction and limited dispersal in an environmental population of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii isolates from Australia. J Clin Microbiol. 2003;41:703-11.
22. Kwon-Chung KJ, Bennett JE, Rhodes JC. Taxonomic studies on Filobasidiella species and their anamorphs. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1982;48:25-38.
23. Ordóñez N, Castañeda E. Serotipificación de aislamientos clínicos y del medio ambiente de Cryptococcus neoformans en Colombia. Biomédica. 1994;14:131-9.
24. Viviani MA, Esposto MC, Cogliati M, Montagna MT, Wickes BL. Isolation of a Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A MATa strain from the Italian environment. Med Mycol. 2001;41:383-6.
How to Cite
1.
Escandón P, Ngamskulrungroj P, Meyer W, Castañeda E. In vitro mating of Colombian isolates of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex. Biomed. [Internet]. 2007 Jun. 1 [cited 2025 Apr. 12];27(2):308-14. Available from: https://revistabiomedicaorg.biteca.online/index.php/biomedica/article/view/227
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