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Capsular Material of Cryptococcus neoformans: Virulence and Much More

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Abstract

The capsule is generally considered one of the more powerful virulence factors of microorganisms, driving research in the field of microbial pathogenesis and in the development of vaccines. Cryptococcus neoformans is unique among the most common human fungal pathogens in that it possesses a complex polysaccharide capsule. This review focuses on the Cryptococcus neoformans capsule from the viewpoint of fungal pathogenesis, and the effective immune response target of the capsule’s main component, glucuronoxylomannan.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the European Commission, FINSysB Marie Curie Initial Training 16 Network: PITN-GA-2008-214004, and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia: 2010.011.0398. We thank Thomas Kozel, from the School of Medicine of the University of Nevada, USA, for supplying us with GXM. We thank Catherine Macpherson for editorial assistance.

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  1. Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, Microbiology Section, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126, Perugia, Italy

    A. Vecchiarelli & C. Monari

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  1. A. Vecchiarelli
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  2. C. Monari
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Correspondence to A. Vecchiarelli.

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Vecchiarelli, A., Monari, C. Capsular Material of Cryptococcus neoformans: Virulence and Much More. Mycopathologia 173, 375–386 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-011-9513-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-011-9513-8

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