Abegg Maxwel Adriano, Cella Fabiana Lucila, Faganello Josiane, Valente Patrícia, Schrank Augusto, Vainstein Marilene Henning
Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, P. O. Box 15005, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Mycopathologia. 2006 Feb;161(2):83-91. doi: 10.1007/s11046-005-0186-z.
Cryptococcus neoformans, a major pathogen in immunocompromised patients, is a ubiquitous free-living fungus that can be isolated from soils, avian excreta and plant material. To further study potential saprophytic sources of this yeast in the Southern Brazilian State Rio Grande do Sul, we analyzed fecal samples from 59 species of captive birds kept in cages at a local Zoological Garden, belonging to 12 different orders. Thirty-eight environmental isolates of C. neoformans were obtained only from Psittaciformes (Psittacidae, Cacatuidae and Psittacula). Their variety and serotype were determined, and the genetic structure of the isolates was analyzed by use of the simple repetitive microsatellite specific primer M13 and the minisatellite specific primer (GACA)(4) as single primers in the PCR. The varieties were confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Thirty-three isolates (87%) were from the var. grubii, serotype A, molecular type VNI and five (13%) were Cryptococcus gattii, serotype B, molecular type VGI. All the isolates were mating type alpha. Isolates were screened for some potential virulence factors. Quantitative urease production by the environmental isolates belonging to the C. gattii was similar to the values usually obtained for clinical ones.
新型隐球菌是免疫功能低下患者的主要病原体，是一种广泛存在的自由生活真菌，可从土壤、鸟类粪便和植物材料中分离得到。为了进一步研究巴西南部南里奥格兰德州这种酵母菌的潜在腐生来源，我们分析了当地动物园笼养的59种鸟类的粪便样本，这些鸟类分属于12个不同的目。仅从鹦形目（鹦鹉科、凤头鹦鹉科和鹦鹉属）获得了38株新型隐球菌环境分离株。确定了它们的变种和血清型，并通过在聚合酶链反应（PCR）中使用简单重复微卫星特异性引物M13和小卫星特异性引物（GACA）4作为单引物来分析分离株的遗传结构。通过脉冲场凝胶电泳（PFGE）确认变种。33株分离株（87%）来自grubii变种，血清型A，分子型VNI，5株（13%）是加氏隐球菌，血清型B，分子型VGI。所有分离株均为α交配型。对分离株进行了一些潜在毒力因子的筛选。加氏隐球菌环境分离株的定量脲酶产量与临床分离株通常获得的值相似。
