• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.183-195
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• 2018

Cryptococcosis, which is caused by the Cryptococcus species complex (including Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii), is well known as one of the most important medical problems. However, the of the Cryptococcus species complex is still limited to pneumonia and meningitis. In particular, the differences in virulence among the five major serotypes of the Cryptococcus species complex are not fully understood. To elucidate the virulence of the Cryptococcus species complex when it is disseminated hematogenously, rats were infected by different strains of the Cryptococcus species serotype, and their histopathological characteristics were compared after infection. The cumulative mortality ratio of rats infected with serotype B strain was slightly higher than in the other experimental groups. In addition, the average recovery of the Cryptococcus species complex from rats infected with serotype B strain was significantly higher than in the other groups in almost all organ samples except spleen. The recovery of the Cryptococcus species complex was associated with the severity of histopathological lesions, including bleeding, inflammation, and tissue damage in all organs. In rats infected with serotype B strain, the virulence was the most severe, especially in the lungs and liver. These results indicate that the pathophysiology of the Cryptococcus species complex infection differs according to serotype.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.360-365
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• 2015

Multilocus sequence typing analysis was applied to determine the genotypes of 147 (137 clinical and 10 environmental) Cryptococcus neoformans and three clinical Cryptococcus gattii isolates from 1993 to 2014 in Korea. Among the 137 clinical isolates of C. neoformans, the most prevalent genotype was ST5 (n = 131), followed by ST31 (n = 5) and ST127 (n = 1). Three C. gattii strains were identified as ST57, ST7, and ST113. All environmental isolates were identified as C. neoformans with two genotypes, ST5 (n = 7) and ST31 (n = 3). Our results show that C. neoformans isolates in Korea are genetically homogeneous, and represent a close genetic relationship between clinical and environmental isolates.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2018

Totally 91 strains of wild yeasts were isolated from the humus rich soil in the Bogyong city park of Daejeon city, Korea. Majority of the strains belonged to Cryptococcus spp., which included 11 strains of Cryptococcus aureus. Among them, Kwoniella mangroviensis JSS0500, Candida corydalis JSS0501, Candida bombi JSS0503, Candida multigemmis JSS0504, Cryptococcus dimennae JSS0506, Cryptococcus saitoi JSS0507, Cryptococcus victoriae JSS0508, Metschnikowia pulcherrima JSS0502, Papiliotrema aurea JSS0505, Debaryomyces vanrijia JSS0509, Occultifur externus JSS0510, Filobasidium floriforme JSS0511 and Yamadazyma scolyti JSS0512 represented newly recorded yeast strains in Korea, and their microbiological characteristics were investigated. All of these unrecorded yeasts showed oval shape and also formed ascospores and pseudomycelia, except for Kwoniella mangroviensis JSS0500, Candida bombi JSS0503, and Metschnikowia pulcherrima JSS0502. Seven strains including Candida corydalis JSS0501 grew in vitamin-free medium, and 4 of the wild yeasts including Cryptococcus victoriae JSS0508 were halotolerant, i.e., capable of growing in 10% NaCl-containing yeast extract-peptone-dextrose (YPD) broth. Debaryomyces vanrijia JSS0509 was found to be a thermophilic yeast that grew at $37^{\circ}C$.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.108-112
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• 2016

This study focused on the isolation of wild yeasts from the soils of an herb park in Seoul, Korea, and characterization of unrecorded yeasts. Fifteen yeast strains of nine species were isolated and identified. Among them, strains of the Cryptococcus genus, such as Cryptococcus laurentii (2 strains), Cryptococcus saitoi (two strains), Cryptococcus podzolicus (2 strains), and Cryptococcus sp. (2 strains) were dominant. Candida boleticola SU14-2, Candida novakii SU6-2 and Cryptococcus podzolicus SU18-3 were also screened as newly recorded yeasts in Korea. Candida novakii SU6-2 formed ascospores and a pseudomycelium, and Candida boleticola SU14-2 grew well in the 5% NaCl-containing yeast extract-peptone-dextrose medium.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2013

Yeasts isolated from wild flowers of Gyejoksan in Daejeon city, Oseosan in Chungchungnamdo, and Baekamsan in Jeollabukdo, Korea were identified by comparison of nucleotide sequences for PCR-amplified D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA or internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 and 2 including 5.8S rDNA using BLAST. Twelve yeast strains of ten species and seventeen yeast strains of ten species were isolated from wild flowers of Gyejoksan and Oseosan, respectively. And thirty seven yeast strains of twenty four species were isolated from wild flowers of Baekamsan. Total thirty four yeast species were isolated from three different sample collection areas, but only nine species were overlapped from the at least two different sampling areas: Cryptococcus sp., Cryptococcus aureus, Cryptococcus flavescens, Cryptococcus flavus, Metschnikowia sp., Pseudozyma aphidis, Rhodotorula glutinis, Sporobolomyces carnicolor, and Sporobolomyces ruberrimus. Among them only Cryptococcus aureus was occurred from all three different collection sites. Other twenty five species were restricted to specific collection site suggesting that each area has distinctive yeast flora.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.64-67
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• 2015

Several kinds of wild yeasts were isolated and identified from some cereals. A total of twenty six yeast strains were isolated from eleven kinds of cereals. Among twenty six yeast strains, Saccharomyces cerevisiae were five strains and Pseudozyma antarctica were four strains. Five species of Cryptococcus including Cryptococcus magnus were also isolated. Pseudizyma aphidis were isolated from black bean, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cryptococcus flavescens, Cryptococcus magnus and Hannaella zeae were also isolated from glutinous millet.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2015

Several kinds of yeasts were isolated from wild flowers collected from Muju resort of Deogyu mountain in Korea and identified by comparison of nucleotide sequences of D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA using BLAST. Totally twenty-two strains of eight species were isolated and Cryptococcus magnus (9 strains) and Cryptococcus flavescenes (6 strains) were dominant species. The supernatant and cell-free extracts were prepared and their antioxidant activity, anti-gout xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and whitening tyrosinase inhibitory activity were investigated. Anti-gout xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of Sporobolomyces phaffii JS00583 and Rhodotorula graminis JS00581 were 40.4% and 39.1%, respectively and also was 36.1% whitening tyrosinase inhibitory activity in the supernatant of Cryptococcus magnus JS00570.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2017

Twenty-two yeast strains of 15 species were isolated from the leaves of 20 trees on Oknyeobong Peak, and 24 yeast strains of 12 species were isolated from the leaves of 20 trees on Yeonjasan Mountain in Daejeon city, Korea. Cryptococcus bestiolae (5 strains) and Aureobasidium pullulans (8 strains) were the predominant isolates from Oknyeobong Peak and Yeonjasan Mountain, respectively. Of a total of 46 yeast strains, Cryptococcus kuetzingii JSL508, Cryptococcus vishniacii JSL509, and Dioszegia takashimae JSL510 from Okyeobong Peak, and Plowrightia periclymeni JSL514, Erythrobasidium hasegawanium JSL0193, and Rhodotorula nothofagi JSL0196 from Yeonjasan Mountain were determined to be yeast strains that were yet unrecorded in Korea. Morphological and cultural characteristics of these unrecorded yeasts were investigated. Erythrobasidium hasegawanium JSL0193 and Rhodotorula nothofagi JSL0196 did not form ascospores and pseudomycelia. All the strains, except Dioszegia takashimae JSL510, were halotolerant or halophilic, and Cryptococcus kuetzingii JSL508 and Dioszegia takashimae JSL510 were thermophilic, growing at $37^{\circ}C$.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.64-72
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• 2017

The formation of brown colonies due to phenol oxidase activity on classic agar media containing natural material extracts of Helianthus annuus or on medium containing L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine has been used to identify Cryptococcus species complex. In this study, various natural materials were used to develop a modified medium and to identify five major serotypes of Cryptococcus species complex. Serotypes A, D, and A/D were pigmented on medium using Perilla frutescens var. japonica Hara (PerJ agar) after a three-day incubation. Serotypes B and C were pigmented on PerJ agar after four- and five-day incubations, respectively. Growth time and pigmentation of the five serotypes occurred more rapidly on PerJ agar than on the other media. In addition, colony morphology, size, and pigmentation were specific by serotype. In conclusion, PerJ agar should be used in clinic settings to identify Cryptococcus species complex and its serotypes rapidly.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2010

Past decade systemic mycoses caused by opportunistic human fungal pathogens, including Candida, Aspergillus, and Cryptococcus, have been a growing problem for both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Particularly, Cryptococcus neoformans has recently emerged as a major fungal pathogen, which can cause fungal pneumonia and meningitis that are lethal if not timely medicated. However, treatment for cryptococcosis has been difficult due to a lack of proper anti-cryptococcal drugs with fungicidal activity and less toxicity. In this review we introduced novel therapeutic methods for treating cryptococcosis by exploring pathogenomic signa1ing networks of C. neoformans with genome-wide transcriptome approaches as well as diverse molecular/genetic tools.