Neilson J B, Ivey M H, Bulmer G S
Infect Immun. 1978 Apr;20(1):262-6. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.1.262-266.1978.
During experiments on the gastrointestinal tract as a possible portal of entry for Cryptococcus neoformans, we occasionally observed the free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba polyphaga, growing in the presence of C. neoformans cultured from mouse feces. Examination of the amoebic trophozoites revealed that they were engorged with yeast cells. Over a period of 2 to 3 weeks of incubation, the amoebae apparently killed most of the yeast cells. Some of the surviving C. neoformans cells formed atypical colonies which contained pseudohyphae. Seven other strains have since been cultured with this amoeba. Pseudohyphal forms were found among the surviving colonies in all strains tested. Virulence studies were performed on one randomly selected pseudohyphal isolate from each of the eight strains of C. neoformans. Pseudohyphal isolates from seven of the eight strains failed to kill mice 30 days after intracranial inoculation. The potential role of soil amoebae in the control of C. neoformans in nature is discussed.
在关于胃肠道作为新型隐球菌可能的侵入门户的实验过程中，我们偶尔观察到自由生活的变形虫——多食棘阿米巴，在从小鼠粪便中培养出的新型隐球菌存在的情况下生长。对阿米巴滋养体的检查发现它们充满了酵母细胞。在2至3周的培养期内，变形虫显然杀死了大部分酵母细胞。一些存活的新型隐球菌细胞形成了包含假菌丝的非典型菌落。此后又用这种变形虫培养了其他七个菌株。在所有测试菌株的存活菌落中都发现了假菌丝形式。对从八株新型隐球菌中随机选择的一株的假菌丝分离株进行了毒力研究。八株中的七株的假菌丝分离株在颅内接种30天后未能杀死小鼠。讨论了土壤变形虫在自然界中控制新型隐球菌的潜在作用。
