Ferry Hagen1, Anuradha Chowdhary2, Anupam Prakash2, Jan-Bart Yntema3, Jacques F Meis4. 1. Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: f.hagen@gmail.com. 2. Department of Medical Mycology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India. 3. Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 4. Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The basidiomycetous yeast Cryptococcus gattii is an emerging and primary pathogen. There is a lack of information about its environmental spread outside outbreak regions in Mediterranean Europe, North and South America. Environmental sampling for C. gattii and molecular characterization of the obtained isolates will provide an insight into the global spread of the various genotypes. METHODS: Woody debris of native divi-divi (Caesalpinia coriaria) trees were sampled across Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. Colonies suspected for Cryptococcus species were subjected to standard mycology investigations and identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Isolates identified as C. gattii were subjected to amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping, mating-type analysis and multi-locus sequence typing. RESULTS: Ten colonies of C. gattii were cultured from different trunk hollows of the same divi-divi tree. Molecular characterization showed that all isolates were genotype AFLP6/VGII and mating-type α. Multi-locus sequence typing revealed that all isolates were genetically indistinguishable from each other. CONCLUSIONS: C. gattii is present in the environment of Bonaire, which suggests that this yeast is likely to be present in the environment of other Caribbean islands.
BACKGROUND: The basidiomycetous yeastCryptococcus gattii is an emerging and primary pathogen. There is a lack of information about its environmental spread outside outbreak regions in Mediterranean Europe, North and South America. Environmental sampling for C. gattii and molecular characterization of the obtained isolates will provide an insight into the global spread of the various genotypes. METHODS: Woody debris of native divi-divi (Caesalpinia coriaria) trees were sampled across Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. Colonies suspected for Cryptococcus species were subjected to standard mycology investigations and identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Isolates identified as C. gattii were subjected to amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping, mating-type analysis and multi-locus sequence typing. RESULTS: Ten colonies of C. gattii were cultured from different trunk hollows of the same divi-divi tree. Molecular characterization showed that all isolates were genotype AFLP6/VGII and mating-type α. Multi-locus sequence typing revealed that all isolates were genetically indistinguishable from each other. CONCLUSIONS:C. gattii is present in the environment of Bonaire, which suggests that this yeast is likely to be present in the environment of other Caribbean islands.
Keywords:
Amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting; Caesalpinia coriaria; Cryptococcus gattii; Environmental sampling; Muestreo medioambiental; Multi-locus sequence typing; Polimorfismo de tamaño de fragmentos amplificados; Tipado por secuenciación de múltiples loci
Authors: P F Herkert; F Hagen; G L de Oliveira Salvador; R R Gomes; M S Ferreira; V A Vicente; M D Muro; R L Pinheiro; J F Meis; F Queiroz-Telles Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2016-08-01 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Jéssica Rodrigues; Fernanda L Fonseca; Rafael O Schneider; Rodrigo M da C Godinho; Carolina Firacative; Krystyna Maszewska; Wieland Meyer; Augusto Schrank; Charley Staats; Livia Kmetzsch; Marilene H Vainstein; Marcio L Rodrigues Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2015-07-08 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Patricia F Herkert; Ferry Hagen; Rosangela L Pinheiro; Marisol D Muro; Jacques F Meis; Flávio Queiroz-Telles Journal: J Fungi (Basel) Date: 2017-11-03