Last but not yeast—The many forms of Cryptococcus neoformans
Piotr R. Stempinski, Gracen R. Gerbig, Seth Greengo, Arturo Casadevall
Abstract
Most microscopic fungal species respond to their surrounding conditions with morphological changes, including transitions between yeast, pseudohyphal, and hyphal forms. In some cases, cells may undergo more subtle yet effective transformations that alter the size, shape, and biophysical barriers of the cells Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated human fungal pathogen and the etiological agent of cryptococcosis and cryptococcal meningitis Cryptococcal infections begin with the inhalation of basidiospores, which initiate mostly asymptomatic lung infections in immunologically intact hosts In immunocompromised patients, infections can disseminate to the central nervous system (CNS), promoting life-threatening meningitis. In recent years, evidence has accumulated that morphological changes are key mechanisms that allow C. neoformans to persist in tissues in the form of enlarged cells and disseminate within the host organism as microcells