Morphological and genomic characterization of Filobasidiella depauperata: a homothallic sibling species of the pathogenic cryptococcus species complex.

ABSTRACT: The fungal species Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii cause respiratory and neurological disease in animals and humans following inhalation of basidiospores or desiccated yeast cells from the environment. Sexual reproduction in C. neoformans and C. gattii is controlled by a bipolar system in which a single mating type locus (MAT) specifies compatibility. These two species are dimorphic, growing as yeast in the asexual stage, and producing hyphae, basidia, and basidiospores during the sexual stage. In contrast, Filobasidiella depauperata, one of the closest related species, grows exclusively as hyphae and it is found in association with decaying insects. Examination of two available strains of F. depauperata showed that the life cycle of this fungal species shares features asso

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez-Carres M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2835752 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature