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Updated: May 25, 2026

Size Matters: Measurement of Capsule Diameter in Cryptococcus neoformans
Published on: February 27, 2018
Capsular Material of Cryptococcus neoformans: Virulence and Much More
1Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, Microbiology Section, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126, Perugia, Italy, vecchiar@unipg.it.
Abstract:
The capsule is generally considered one of the more powerful virulence factors of microorganisms, driving research in the field of microbial pathogenesis and in the development of vaccines. Cryptococcus neoformans is unique among the most common human fungal pathogens in that it possesses a complex polysaccharide capsule. This review focuses on the Cryptococcus neoformans capsule from the viewpoint of fungal pathogenesis, and the effective immune response target of the capsule's main component, glucuronoxylomannan.
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