Diverse species in the genus Cryptococcus: Pathogens and their non‐pathogenic ancestors

Abstract

The genus Cryptococcus comprises of more than 30 species. It consists of clinically significant pathogenic Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex comprising of a minimum of seven species. These pathogens cost more than 200,000 lives annually by causing cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. The evolution of the pathogenic species from closely related nonpathogenic species of the Cryptococcus amylolentus complex is of particular importance and several advances have been made to understand their phylogenetic and genomic relationships. The current review briefly describes the sexual reproduction process followed by an individual description of the members focusing on their key attributes and virulence mechanisms of the pathogenic species. A special section on phylogenetic studies is aimed at understanding the evolutionary divergence of pathogens from non-pathogens. Recent findings from our group pertaining to parameters affecting codon usage bias in six pathogenic and three non-pathogenic ancestral species and their corroboration with existing phylogenetic reports are also included in the current review.

The Ecology of Non-Candida Yeasts and Dimorphic Fungi in Cetaceans: From Pathogenicity to Environmental and Global Health Implications

“…Both C. neoformans and C. gattii have been identified in these animals (Table 1). While C. neoformans is ubiquitously distributed and frequently found in environments with minimal exposure to solar radiation, with a significant reservoir being shielded avian guano accumulations, C. gattii has a more restricted distribution and is commonly linked to the Eucalyptus camaldulensis tree, among others [14,15].…”

Incidencia De Infecciones Fúngicas Invasivas Asociadas a Covid-19

“…Las especies que suelen generar infecciones se encuentran como saprófitas en suelo, heces de TLATEMOANI, No. 40, agosto 2022. https://www.eumed.net/es/revistas/tlatemoani 109 aves y vegetación, dependiendo de la especie (S. Gupta et al, 2020). La principal forma de inoculación es a través de vías respiratorias, inhalando las células, las cuales infectan el tracto respiratorio y, posteriormente, puede diseminarse vía hematógena y llegar a infectar el sistema nervioso central (SNC) (Sharma et al, 2022).…”

A Case Report of Cryptococcal Meningitis Presenting with Psychiatric Abnormalities

“…The Cryptococcus genus is a diverse group of fungi, with over 100 species identified to date, yet only a few of them are known to cause human diseases. Unlike other opportunistic pathogenic fungi, Cryptococcus is a deadly fungus with a high mortality rate once infection occurs (1,2). In the late 19th century, the first documented cases of diseases in humans and animals caused by Cryptococcus were reported (3,4).…”