Cryptococcus (insect)

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Cryptococcus
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Cryptococcus fagisuga , the beech scale
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Family: Eriococcidae
Genus: Cryptococcus
Douglas, 1890 [1]
Species

Cryptococcus is a genus of scale insects in the family Eriococcidae.

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<i>Cryptococcus</i> Genus of fungi

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<i>Cryptococcus neoformans</i>

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Cryptococcus adeliensis is a species of Cryptococcus that when plated on agar produces colonies that are cream colored, with a smooth, glossy appearance. The colonies frequently appear to have a soft texture. The optimal growth range for this species is at 25 degrees Celsius. Cryptococcus adeliensis is incapable of fermentation, as is typical of the Cryptococcus species. This species is able to use sucrose, maltose, cellbiose, trehalose, raffinose, citrate, inositol ethanol, soluble starch, melezitose, xylitol, saccharate, salicin as well as many other compounds as sole carbon sources. Cryptococcus adeliensis is able to use nitrate, nitrite and cadaverine, a protein created when animals decay and which produces the putrid smell associated with this decay, as sources of Nitrogen. This species forms starch as it grows. Cryptococcus adeliensis also grows on 0.01% cycloheximide.

'Cryptococcus albidosimilis is a species that has been isolated from soil in Antarctica. When plated on agar it produces colonies that are shining white. The colonies appear to be mucosoid in appearance when plated on agar. When grown in liquid media, the yeast fails to grow well unless the media is constantly agitated. This species is considered mesophilic, with optimal growth temperature is at 25 °C, with a maximum growth temperature. On the microscopic level, the cells are ovoid in shape, and produce a capsule. C. albidosimilis reproduces through budding, and it does not appear s though this species reproduces through any sexual means. When mature, the cell size is approximately 4.9μm to 6.6μm. C. albidosimilis can use L-arabinose, cellobiose, citrate at pH 6.0, ethanol, D-glucitol, gluconate at pH 5.8, glucuronate at pH 5.5, myo-inositol, lactose, maltose, mannitol, melezitose, α-methylglucoside, L-rhamnose, salicin, soluble starch, succinate at pH 5.5, sucrose and xylose as sole carbon sources. This cell can also use L-lysine, nitrate and cadaverine as sole nitrogen sources. This species cannot ferment. C. albidosimilis is DBB positive, and produces amylose.

Cryptococcus skinneri is a species of yeast which forms white and cream colored colonies which are smooth with a mucoid texture. No hyphae are present and it reproduces by budding. The individual cells are round and oval in shape. The formation of starch and urea has been observed. It will grow at 25 degrees Celsius up to 30 degrees Celsius in some cases.

Vomocytosis Cellular process

Vomocytosis is the cellular process by which live organisms that have previously been engulfed by a white blood cell are expelled without being destroyed. Vomocytosis was first reported in 2006 by two groups, working simultaneously in the UK and the USA, based on time-lapse microscopy footage characterising the interaction between macrophages and the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Subsequently, this process has also been seen with other fungal pathogens such as Candida albicans and Candida krusei. It has also been speculated that the process may be related to the expulsion of bacterial pathogens such as Mycobacterium marinum from host cells. Vomocytosis has been observed in phagocytic cells from mice, humans and birds, as well as being directly observed in zebrafish and indirectly detected in mice. Amoebae exhibit a similar process to vomocytosis whereby phagosomal material that cannot be digested is exocytosed. Cryptococci are exocytosed from amoebae via this mechanism but inhibition of the constitutive pathway demonstrated that cryptococci could also be expelled via vomocytosis.

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