InTRoduCTIon Cryptococcosis is an acute, subacute or chronic fungal disease which is caused by encapsulated basidiomycetous yeasts which belong to the genus, Cryptococcus [1]. This yeast is a particularly fascinating fungal pathogen, because it crosses the entire spectrum of the host immunity. For instance, it produces infections in apparently immunocompetent patients without any known underlyi...

Cryptococcus neoformans is a basidiomycetous, yeast-like fungus which, following inhalation from an environmental source, causes respiratory and neurological disease in humans and animals. Though the ecology of C. neoformans is poorly understood, recent observations provide clues about its life-cycle in nature. Two biotypes of C. neoformans are recognised, C. neoformans var. neoformans (serotyp...

This review discusses recognition of yeast species from gene sequence comparisons, which have been responsible for doubling the number of known yeasts over the past decade. The resolution provided by various single gene sequences is examined for both ascomycetous and basidiomycetous species, and the greater resolution of species provided by multigene analyses is discussed. Various methods are p...

Cryptococcosis is an acute, sub-acute or chronic fungal disease caused by an encapsulated basidiomycetous yeast belonging to the genus Cryptococcus (Jagdish Chander). It is among the most prevalent lifethreatening mycoses and has a worldwide distribution (Meyer et al., 2003). Among the many species of the genus “Cryptococcus” that are prevalent ubiquitously in environment, C. neoformans and C. ...

C. neoformans is a basidiomycetous, yeast-like fungus that, following inhalation from an environmental source, causes respiratory and neurological infection in humans and animals. This fungus has 5 serotypes (A, B, C, D, and AD), and recently was subdivided into 3 varieties known as C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A), C. neoformans var. neoformans (serotype D), and C. neoformans var. gattii...

Phylogenetic studies of yeasts rely on an extensive molecular and biochemical data set, but structural characters are scarce. Details of mitosis in yeasts have been studied with transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. Of these two methods immunofluorescence is faster and easier and yields sufficient detail for cytological comparisons. Only three basidiomycetous yeasts have been...