title: Unique hybrids between the fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii.
abstract: Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are yeasts that cause meningoencephalitis, but that differ in host range and geographical distribution. Cryptococcus neoformans occurs world-wide and mostly infects immunocompromised patients, whereas C. gattii occurs mainly in (sub)tropical regions and infects healthy individuals. Anomalous C. neoformans strains were isolated from patients. These strains were found to be monokaryotic, and diploid or aneuploid. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and sequence analyses indicated that AFLP genotypes 2 (C. neoformans) and 4 (C. gattii) were present. The strains were serologically BD. Mating- and serotype-specific PCR reactions showed that the strains were MATa-serotype D/MATalpha-serotype B. This study is the first to describe naturally occurring hybrids between C. neoformans and C. gattii.
authors.affiliation: CBS-Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bovers
authors.forename: Ferry
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: Eiko E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Kuramae
authors.forename: Mara R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Lodewijk
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spanjaard
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dromer
authors.forename: Hans L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Hoogveld
authors.forename: Teun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boekhout
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008297:Male; D016919:Meningitis, Cryptococcal / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011003:Ploidies; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012703:Serotyping