title: Serotypes and mating types of clinical isolates from feline cryptococcosis in Japan.
abstract: Most isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans (teleomorph: Filobasidiella neoformans) from human patients and from environmental materials in Japan have been identified as serotype A mating type a by the seroagglutination test and mating experiments. A PCR method using the mating type alpha allele-specific primer of the STE12 gene and the serotype- and mating type-specific primers of the STE20 gene for identification of C. neoformans has been developed. Using the PCR method, conserved strains and clinical isolates from feline cryptococcosis were examined for serotype and the mating type. The results showed that all clinical isolates examined were identified as serotype A, MATalpha, indicating that feline cryptococcsis cases in Japan are caused by C. neoformans serotype A, MATalpha, as is the case in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kanagawa 252-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okabayashi
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kano
authors.forename: Toshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Atsuhiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D007564:Japan; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012703:Serotyping / Q000662:veterinary; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers