Genotypic diversity of environmental Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from Northern Portugal

Ana Sofia Ferreira, Ana Sampaio, Ana Paula Maduro, Inês Silva, Fernando Teles, Maria da Luz Marques Martins, João Inácio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Summary: The Cryptococcus neoformans/C. gattii species complex members are the main agents of systemic cryptococcosis. This disease is believed to be acquired from the environment via fungal cell inhalation. Often, isolates recovered from environmental and clinical sources have proven to be genotypically similar. We assessed the occurrence of C. neoformans and C. gattii in environmental substrates collected in a Portuguese region. Twenty-eight isolates were identified as C. neoformans - five from decaying Eucalyptus leaves and 23 from domestic pigeon droppings. The isolates were genotyped using a URA5-RFLP approach. The C. neoformans VNIV (53.6%, n = 15) and VNI (32.1%, n = 9) genotypes were abundantly present among environmental isolates. The hybrid VNIII (14.3%, n = 4) genotype was underrepresented and the VNII was not found. Cryptococcus gattii was also not found although some isolates yielded a positive canavanine-glycine-bromothymol blue test.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)98-104
Number of pages7
JournalMycoses
Volume57
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2014

Keywords

  • Cryptococcus neoformans
  • Environmental isolates
  • Eucalyptus
  • Genotyping
  • Pigeon droppings

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