An in vitro method for inducing titan cells reveals novel features of yeast-to-titan switching in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii.

ABSTRACT: Cryptococcosis is a potentially lethal fungal infection of humans caused by organisms within the Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii species complex. Whilst C. neoformans is a relatively common pathogen of immunocompromised individuals, C. gattii is capable of acting as a primary pathogen of immunocompetent individuals. Within the host, both species undergo morphogenesis to form titan cells: exceptionally large cells that are critical for disease establishment. To date, the induction, defining attributes, and underlying mechanism of titanisation have been mainly characterized in C. neoformans. Here, we report the serendipitous discovery of a simple and robust protocol for in vitro induction of titan cells in C. gattii. Using this in vitro approach, we reveal a remarkably high capacity for titan

SUBMITTER: Saidykhan L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9426920 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature