title: Growth of Cryptococcus neoformans on uric acid agar.
abstract: Effect of certain low molecular nitrogen substances, namely uric acid, eura and creatinine as sole source of nitrogen was studied on 31 strains of Cryptococcus neoformans as well as on a rough looking isolate recovered from the brain of a mouse inoculated with a mucoid strain of C. neoformans. Uric acid as a nitrogen source caused striking alterations in the morphology of C. neoformans. In view of the facts that uric acid is a common end-product of human and animal metabolism, it is abundantly present in the avian faecal matter and is capable of inducing mucoid growth and capsule formation in dry growing non-encapsulated strains or in an otherwise rough looking hypha forming isolate, its role in studying the phylogenesis of C. neoformans and its pathogenicity seems to be an important proposition.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051379:Mice; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid