Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Biolistic Transformation of a Fluorescent Tagged Gene into the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans
07:32

Biolistic Transformation of a Fluorescent Tagged Gene into the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Published on: March 19, 2015

Evidence that the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii may have evolved in Africa

Anastasia P Litvintseva1, Ignazio Carbone, Jenny Rossouw

  • 1Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America. litvi001@mc.duke.edu

Plos One
|May 19, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, a cause of fungal meningitis, likely evolved in southern Africa. Bird and human migration globally dispersed strains from pigeon excreta and mopane trees.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii (serotype A) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen.
  • It is the leading cause of fungal meningitis, particularly devastating for HIV/AIDS patients with high mortality rates.
  • The fungus is globally associated with avian and arboreal habitats.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary origins and ecological reservoirs of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii.
  • To understand the dispersal mechanisms of this significant human pathogen.
  • To assess potential public health implications of newly identified reservoirs.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analyses
  • Population genetic analyses
  • Ecological field studies

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii evolved from a diverse southern African population.
  • Feral pigeon excreta identified as a global reservoir, facilitating dispersal via bird and human migration.
  • A novel arboreal reservoir, the mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane), discovered in southern Africa harboring diverse strains.

Conclusions:

  • Southern Africa is a likely center of origin for Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii.
  • Global dissemination was facilitated by avian and human migration from pigeon-associated reservoirs.
  • The mopane tree represents a significant, previously unrecognized reservoir with implications for pathogen evolution and public health.

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