cryptococcus
Dictionary:
cryp·to·coc·cus (krĭp'tə-kŏk'əs) 
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n.
Any of various yeastlike fungi of the genus Cryptococcus, commonly occurring in the soil and including certain pathogenic species, such as the causative agent of cryptococcosis.
cryptococcal cryp'to·coc'cal adj.
| 5min Related Video: cryptococcus |
| Medical Dictionary: Cryp·to·coc·cus |
(krĭp'tə-kŏk'əs)
n.
n.
Any of a genus of yeastlike fungi commonly occurring in the soil and including certain pathogenic species.
| Veterinary Dictionary: Cryptococcus |
A genus of yeastlike fungi.
- C. farciminosum — see histoplasma farciminosum.
- C. neoformans — a species of worldwide distribution, causing cryptococcosis in all species including humans; there are two biovars, C. var neoformans, and C. var gattae. Called also Torula histolytica, Torulopsis neoformans.
| Wikipedia: Cryptococcus |
Not to be confused with Cryptosporidium.
| Cryptococcus | |
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| Cryptococcus neoformans | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Phylum: | Basidiomycota |
| Subphylum: | Basidiomycotina |
| Class: | Urediniomycetes |
| Order: | Sporidiales |
| Family: | Sporidiobolaceae |
| Genus: | Filobasidiella (Cryptococcus) |
Cryptococcus (literally "Hidden Seed") is a genus of fungus. It grows in culture as a yeast. The perfect (sexual) form or teleomorph is called Filobasidiella, but the imperfect (asexual) form or anamorph is called Cryptococcus. The name Cryptococcus is correct when used in a medical context because the infective form is the imperfect form.
Cryptococcus neoformans is the most prominent medically important species. It is best known for causing a severe form of meningitis and meningo-encephalitis in people with HIV/AIDS. There are about 37 recognized species of Cryptococcus, but the taxonomy of the group is currently being re-evaluated with up-to-date methods. The majority of species live in the soil and are not harmful to humans. Very common species include Cryptococcus laurentii and Cryptococcus albidus. Of all species, Cryptococcus neoformans is the major human and animal pathogen. However, Cryptococcus laurentii and Cryptococcus albidus have been known to occasionally cause moderate-to-severe disease in human patients with compromised immunity (owing to HIV infection, cancer chemotherapy, metabolic immunosuppression, et cetera).[1][2]
Cryptococcus gattii (or Cryptococcus neoformans var gattii) is endemic to tropical parts of the continent of Africa and Australia. It is capable of causing disease (cryptococcosis) in non-immunocompromised people. It is has been isolated from eucalyptus trees in Australia. Since 1999, there has been an outbreak of cryptococcus gattii infections in eastern Vancouver Island,[3] an area not generally thought to be endemic for this organism. Cases have since been described in the Pacific Northwest, in both Canada and the United States.[4]
The cells of these species are covered in a thin layer of glycoprotein capsular material that has a gelatin-like consistency and that, among other functions, serves to help extract nutrients from the soil. But C. neoformans capsule is different in being richer in glucuronic acid and mannose, having O-acetyl groups,[5] and functioning as the major virulence factor in cryptococcal infection and disease.[6]
Birdseed agar containing Guizotia abyssinicia (Niger) seed and creatinine, used for growing Cryptococcus neoformans.
References
- ^ Cheng MF, Chiou CC, Liu YC, Wang HZ, Hsieh KS (2001) Cryptococcus laurentii fungemia in a premature neonate. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 39(4):1608–11. - a good review of C. laurentii cases till year 2000.
- ^ Results from a PubMed Search on terms: "Cryptococcus albidus Infection" – list of references for C. albidus clinical infections.
- ^ Lindberg J, Hagen F, Laursen A, et al. (2007). "Cryptococcus gattii risk for tourists visiting Vancouver lsland, Canada". Emerg Infect Dis 13: 178–79. doi:.
- ^ MacDougall L, Kidd SE, Galanis E, et al. (2007). "Spread of Cryptoccus gattii in British Columbia, Canada and detection in the Pacific Northwest, USA". Emerg Infect Dis 13: 42–50. doi:.
- ^ Ross A, Taylor IE (1981) Extracellular glycoprotein from virulent and avirulent Cryptococcus species. Infection and Immunity. 31(3):911–8
- ^ Casadevall A and Perfect JR (1998) Cryptococcus neoformans. American Society for Microbiolgy, ASM Press, Washington DC, 1st edition.
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 | Torula |
| Filobasidiella neoformans |
| cryptococcal meningitis (medicine) |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Read more |
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| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cryptococcus". Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Deuteromycota
- LCAT
- Torulopsis
- cryptococcosis (medicine)
- fluconazole
- beech bark disease (plant pathology)
- stain
- agar
- epizootic
- Deuteromycotina (eumycota – =eumycetes)
