title: Molecular characterization of Cryptococcus gattii genotype AFLP6/VGII isolated from woody debris of divi-divi (Caesalpinia coriaria), Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The basidiomycetous yeast Cryptococcus gattii is an emerging and primary pathogen. There is a lack of information about its environmental spread outside outbreak regions in Mediterranean Europe, North and South America. Environmental sampling for C. gattii and molecular characterization of the obtained isolates will provide an insight into the global spread of the various genotypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Woody debris of native divi-divi (Caesalpinia coriaria) trees were sampled across Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. Colonies suspected for Cryptococcus species were subjected to standard mycology investigations and identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Isolates identified as C. gattii were subjected to amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping, mating-type analysis and multi-locus sequence typing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten colonies of C. gattii were cultured from different trunk hollows of the same divi-divi tree. Molecular characterization showed that all isolates were genotype AFLP6/VGII and mating-type α. Multi-locus sequence typing revealed that all isolates were genetically indistinguishable from each other.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C. gattii is present in the environment of Bonaire, which suggests that this yeast is likely to be present in the environment of other Caribbean islands.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: f.hagen@gmail.com.
authors: Ferry
authors: F
authors: Hagen
authors: Department of Medical Mycology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors: Anuradha
authors: A
authors: Chowdhary
authors: Department of Medical Mycology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors: Anupam
authors: A
authors: Prakash
authors: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Jan-Bart
authors: JB
authors: Yntema
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Jacques F
authors: JF
authors: Meis
mesh_terms: D029911:Caesalpinia / Q000382:microbiology*; D017691:Caribbean Region; D056285:Cryptococcus gattii / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005838:Genotype; D058889:Molecular Typing; D014934:Wood / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting; Caesalpinia coriaria; Cryptococcus gattii; Environmental sampling; Muestreo medioambiental; Multi-locus sequence typing; Polimorfismo de tamaño de fragmentos amplificados; Tipado por secuenciación de múltiples loci