Cryptococcus
Cryptococcus neoformans
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi Phylum: Basidiomycota Subphylum: Basidiomycotina Class: Urediniomycetes Order: Sporidiales Family: Sporidiobolaceae Genus: Filobasidiella (Cryptococcus)

Cryptococcus is a genus of fungus. It grows in culture as a yeast. The perfect (sexual) form or teleomorph is called Filobasidiella, but the imperfect (asexual) form or anamorph is called Cryptococcus. The name Cryptococcus is correct when used in a medical context because the infective form is the imperfect form. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... Classes Subdivision Teliomycotina    Urediniomycetes Subdivision Ustilaginomycotina    Ustilaginomycetes Subdivision Hymenomycotina    Homobasidiomycetes- mushrooms    Heterobasidiomycetes- jelly fungi The Division Basidiomycota is a large taxon within the Kingdom Fungi that includes those species that produce spores in a club-shaped structure called a basidium. ... Urediniomycetes is a diverse class of fungi that includes several important plant pathogens causing forms of fungal rust. ... Families Sporidiobolaceae Sporidiales is an order in the kingdom of Fungi. ... Genera Aessosporon Cyrenella Leucosporidium Rhodosporidium Rhodotorula Rogersiomyces Sakaguchia Sporidiobolus Sporobolomyces Sporidiobolaceae is an family in the kingdom of Fungi. ... Cryptococcus is a genus of fungus. ... For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Glomeromycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota Deuteromycota Fungi (singular fungus) are a kingdom of eukaryotic organisms. ... Typical divisions Ascomycota Saccharomycotina (true yeasts) Taphrinomycotina Schizosaccharomycetes (fission yeasts) Basidiomycota Basidiomycotina (club fungi) Urediniomycetes Sporidiales Yeasts are unicellular, eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi. ... Fungi are placed into particular taxa based on reproductive similarities. ... In biology, fungi are placed into particular taxa based on reproductive similarities. ...

Cryptococcus neoformans is the most prominent medically important species. It is best known for causing a severe form of meningitis and meningo-encephalitis in persons with HIV infection and AIDS. There are about 37 recognized species of Cryptococcus, but the taxonomy of the group is currently being re-evaluated with up-to-date methods. The majority of species live in the soil and are not harmful to humans. Very common species include Cryptococcus laurentii and Cryptococcus albidus. Of all species, Cryptococcus neoformans is the major human and animal pathogen. However, Cryptococcus laurentii and Cryptococcus albidus have been known to occasionally cause moderate-to-severe disease in human patients with compromised immunity (owing to HIV infection, cancer chemotherapy, metabolic immunosuppression, et cetera) [Reference 1, 2]. Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeastlike fungus that can live in both plants and animals. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Meningitis is the inflammation (infection) of the meninges which are the membranes that cover the brain and spine. ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. ... Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... Look up taxonomy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeastlike fungus that can live in both plants and animals. ...

Cryptococcus gattii (or Cryptococcus neoformans var gattii) is endemic to tropical parts of the continent of Africa and Australia. It is capable of causing disease in non-immunocompromised people. It is has been isolated from eucalyptus trees in Australia. Since 1999, there has been an outbreak of cryptococcus gattii infections in eastern Vancouver,^[1] an area not generally thought to be endemic for this organism. Cases has since been describe also in the Pacific northwestern United States.^[2] Cryptococcus gattii is a yeast-like fungus found in tropical and subtropical climates. ... Species About 700; see the List of Eucalyptus species Eucalyptus (From Greek, eu + καλύπτω = True Cap) is a diverse genus of trees (and a few shrubs), the members of which dominate the tree flora of Australia. ... Vancouver (pronounced: ) is a city in south-western British Columbia, Canada. ...

The cells of these species are covered in a thin layer of glycoprotein capsular material that has a gelatin-like consistency and that, among other functions, serves to help extract nutrients from the soil. But C. neoformans capsule is different in being richer in glucuronic acid and mannose, having O-acetyl groups [Reference 3], and functioning as the major virulence factor in cryptococcal infection and disease [Reviewed extensively in Reference 4].