Abstract
Two isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans were previously described as being highly divergent in their level of capsule synthesis in vivo and in their virulence for mice. The highly virulent isolate (NU-2) produced more capsule than a weakly virulent isolate (184A) in vitro under tissue culture conditions and in vivo. This investigation was done to determine if there were differences between the two isolates in other factors that might also contribute to virulence. Growth rate was not a factor as NU-2 grew more slowly than 184A. Based on PCR fingerprinting the two isolates were genetically different providing an opportunity to examine differences in multiple virulence traits. Quantitative analysis revealed that NU-2 expressed significantly more melanin and mannitol than did 184A. Although the isolates expressed the same capsular chemotype, NU-2 produced an additional structure reporter group (SRG)under tissue culture conditions that was not present when grown in glucose salts/urea/basal medium (GSU).Capsular polysaccharide SRGs of 184A were unaffected by shifting the growth conditions from GSU to tissue culture conditions. Our results suggest that pathogenesis of a C. neoformans strain is dictated by the quantitative expression of the strain's combined virulence traits. Regulators of the expression of these genes may be playing key roles in virulence.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kwon-Chung KJ, Bennett JE. Epidemiologic differences between the two varieties of Cryptococcus neoformans. American Journal of Epidemiology 1984; 120: 123–130.
Kwon-Chung KJ, Bennett JE. Cryptococcosis. Medical Mycology. Philadelphia, PA: Lea & Febiger, 1992: 398–399.
Blackstock R, Murphy JW. Secretion of the C3 component of complement by peritoneal cells cultured with encapsulated Cryptococcus neoformans. Infection and Immunity 1997; 65: 4114–4121.
Curtis JL, Huffnagle GB, Chen GH et al. Differences in pulmonary inflammation and lymphocyte recruitment induced by two encapsulated strains of Cryptococcus neoformans. Laboratory Investigation 1994; 71: 113–126.
Blackstock R, Buchanan KL, Adesina AM, Murphy JW. Differential regulation of immune responses by highly and weakly virulent Cryptococcus neoformans isolates. Infection and Immunity 1999; 67: 3601–3609.
Turner SH, Cherniak R, Reiss E, Kwon Chung KJ. Structural variability in the glucuronoxylomannan of Cryptococcus neoformans serotype-A isolates determined by C-13 NMR spectroscopy. Carbohydrate Research 1992; 233: 205–218.
Buchanan KL, Murphy JW. What makes Cryptococcus neoformans a pathogen? Emerging Infectious Diseases 1998; 4: 71–83.
Dong ZM, Murphy JW. Intravascular cryptococcal culture filtrate (CneF) and its major component, glucuronoxylomannan, are potent inhibitors of leukocyte accumulation. Infection and Immunity 1995; 63: 770–778.
Dong ZM, Murphy JW. Cryptococcal polysaccharides induce L-selectin shedding and tumor necrosis factor receptor loss from the surface of human neutrophils. Journal of Clinical Investigation 1996; 97: 689–698.
Dong ZM, Jackson L, Murphy JW. Mechanisms for induction of L-selectin loss from T lymphocytes by a cryptococcal polysaccharide, glucuronoxylomannan. Infection and Immunity 1999; 67: 220–229.
Murphy JW. Cell-Mediated Immunity. The Mycota Volume VII, Animal and Human Relationships. 1996: 67–97.
Rhodes JC, Polacheck I, Kwon-Chung KJ. Phenoloxidase activity and virulence in isogenic strains of Cryptococcus neoformans. Infection and Immunity 1982; 36: 1175–1184.
Wang Y, Aisen P, Casadevall A. Cryptococcus neoformans melanin and virulence: mechanism of action. Infection and Immunity 1995; 63: 3131–3136.
Huffnagle GB, Strieter RM, NcNeil LS, McDonald RA, Burdick MD, Toews GB. The role of TNF and melanin in modulating the development of protective T cell mediated immunity in the lungs to C. neoformans. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Cryptococcus and Cryptococcosis 1996; 164.
Chaturvedi V, Wong B, Newman SL. Oxidative killing of Cryptococcus neoformans by human neutrophils. Evidence that fungal mannitol protects by scavenging reactive oxygen intermediates. The Journal of Immunology 1996; 156: 3836–3840.
Wong B, Perfect JR, Beggs S, Wright KA. Production of the hexitol D-mannitol by Cryptococcus neoformans in vitro and in rabbits with experimental meningitis. Infection and Immunity 1990; 58: 1664–1670.
Growth of Bacteria. Sokatch JR, Ferretti JJ. Basic Bacteriology and Genetics. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publishers, 1976: 36–54.
Moore TD, Edman JC. The alpha-mating type locus of Cryptococcus neoformans contains a peptide phermone gene. Molecular and Cellular Biology 1993; 13: 1962–1970.
Meyer W, Mitchell TG. Polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting in fungi using single primers specific to minisatellites and simple repetitive DNA sequences: strain variation in Cryptococcus neoformans. Electrophoresis 1995; 16(9): 1648–1656.
Cherniak R, O'Neill EB, Sheng S. Assimilation of xylose, mannose, and mannitol for synthesis of glucuronoxylomannan of Cryptococcus neoformans determined by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Infection and Immunity 1998; 66: 2996–2998.
Cherniak R, Valafar H, Morris LC, Valafar F. Cryptococcus neoformans chemotyping by quantitative analysis of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of glucuronoxylomannans with a computer-simulated artificial neural network. Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology 1998; 5: 146–159.
Cherniak R, Morris LC, Meyer SA. Glucuronoxylomannan of Cryptococcus neoformans serotype-C - Structural analysis by gas liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and C-13-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Carbohydrate Research 1992; 225: 331–337.
Rhodes JC. A simplified assay for cryptococcal phenoloxidase. Mycologia 1986; 78: 867–868.
Wong B, Brauer L, Tsai RR, Jayasimhulu K. Increased amounts of the Aspergillus metabolite D-mannitol in tissues and serum of animals with experimental aspergillosis. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1989; 160: 95–103.
Kwon-Chung KJ, Edman JC, Wickes BL. Genetic association of mating types and virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans. Infection and Immunity 1992; 60: 602–605.
Fries BC, Casadevall A. Serial isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans from patients with AIDS differ in virulence for mice. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1998; 178: 1761–1766.
Huffnagle GB, Chen G-H, Curtis JL, McDonald RA, Strieter RM, Toews GB. Down-regulation of the afferent phase of T cell-mediated pulmonary inflammation and immunity by a high melanin-producing strain of Cryptococcus neoformans. Journal of Immunology 1995; 155: 3507–3516.
Liu L, Tewari RP, Williamson PR. Laccase protects Cryptococcus neoformans from antifungal activity of alveolar macrophages. Infection and Immunity 1999; 67: 6034–6039.
Vartivarian SE, Anaissie EJ, Cowart RE, Sprigg HA, Tingler MJ, Jacobson ES. Regulation of cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide by iron. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1993; 167: 186–190.
Granger DL, Perfect JR, Durack DT. Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans. Regulation of capsule synthesis by carbon dioxide. Journal of Clinical Investigation 1985; 76: 508–516.
Nurudeen TA, Ahearn DG. Regulation of melanin production by Cryptococcus neoformans. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1979; 10: 724–729.
Polacheck I, Hearing VJ, Kwon-Chung KJ. Biochemical studies of phenoloxidase and utilization of catecholamines in Cryptococcus neoformans. Journal of Bacteriology 1982; 150: 1212–1220.
Williamson PR. Biochemical and molecular characterization of the diphenol oxidase of Cryptococcus neoformans: iden11 tification as a laccase. Journal of Bacteriology 1994; 176: 656–664.
Kwon-Chung KJ. Morphogenesis of Filobasidiella neoformans, the sexual state of Cryptococcus neoformans. Mycologia 1976; 68: 942–946.
Wickes BL, Mayorga ME, Edman U, Edman JC. Dimorphism and hapliod fruiting in Cryptococcus neoformans: Association with the α-mating type. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 1996; 93: 7327–7331.
Alspaugh JA, Perfect JR, Heitman J. Cryptococcus neoformans mating and virulence are regulated by the G-protein a subunit GPA1 and cAMP. Genes and Development 1997; 11: 3206–3217.
Lorenz MD, Heitman J. Yeast pseudohyphal growth is regulated by GPA2, a G protein a homolog. EMBO Journal 1997; 16: 7008–7018.
Chaturvedi V, Flynn T, Niehaus T, Wong B. Stress tolerance and pathogenic potential of a mannitol mutant of Cryptococcus neoformans. Microbiology 1996; 142: 937–943.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blackstock, R., Buchanan, K.L., Cherniak, R. et al. Pathogenesis of Cryptococcus neoformans is Associated with Quantitative Differences in Multiple Virulence Factors. Mycopathologia 147, 1–11 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007041401743
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007041401743