Growth on Douglas fir media facilitates Cryptococcus virulence factor production and enhances fungal survival against environmental and immune stressors.

The yeasts Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are fungal pathogens that can be isolated from the environment, including the surfaces of many plants. Cryptococcus gattii caused an outbreak on Vancouver Island, British Columbia beginning in 1999 that has since spread to the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Coastal Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is an important lumber species and a major component of the ecosystems in this area.

The buoyancy of cryptococcal cells and its implications for transport and persistence of in aqueous environments.

is a genus of saprophytic fungi with global distribution. Two species complexes, and , pose health risks to humans and animals. Cryptococcal infections result from inhalation of aerosolized spores and/or desiccated yeasts from terrestrial reservoirs such as soil, trees, and avian guano.

The Cryptococcus neoformans Flc1 Homologue Controls Calcium Homeostasis and Confers Fungal Pathogenicity in the Infected Hosts.

Cryptococcus neoformans, an opportunistic yeast pathogen, relies on a complex network of stress response pathways that allow for proliferation in the host. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, stress responses are regulated by integral membrane proteins containing a transient receptor potential (TRP) domain, including the flavin carrier protein 1 (Flc1), which regulates calcium homeostasis and flavin transport. Here, we report that deletion of C.

Virulence Assay Using a Larvae Model System.

is a human pathogenic fungus that can cause pulmonary infections and meningitis in both immunocompromised and otherwise healthy individuals. Limited treatment options and a high mortality rate underlie the necessity for extensive research of the virulence of . Here we describe a detailed protocol for using the (Greater Wax Moth) larvae as a model organism for the virulence analysis of the cryptococcal infections.

Genetic contribution to high temperature tolerance in Cryptococcus neoformans.

The human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans relies on a complex signaling network for the adaptation and survival at the host temperature. Protein phosphatase calcineurin is central to proliferation at 37°C but its exact contributions remain ill-defined. To better define genetic contributions to the C.