Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Complementary Use of Microscopic Techniques and Fluorescence Reading in Studying Cryptococcus-Amoeba Interactions
10:56

Complementary Use of Microscopic Techniques and Fluorescence Reading in Studying Cryptococcus-Amoeba Interactions

Published on: June 22, 2019

6.8K

Cryptococcus-Epithelial Interactions

Leanne M Taylor-Smith1

  • 1Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, West Midlands, UK. l.m.taylorsmith@bham.ac.uk.

Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 27, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes severe illness, primarily in immunocompromised individuals. This review focuses on how this fungus interacts with respiratory epithelial cells in the lungs.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Cryptococcus neoformans is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in individuals with compromised immune systems like those with HIV.
  • Infections begin with the inhalation of fungal cells, leading to initial contact with respiratory epithelial cells in the lungs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the interactions between Cryptococcus neoformans and respiratory epithelial cells.
  • To explore the adhesion mechanisms, host immune responses, and fungal adaptations during this interaction.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on studies examining Cryptococcus neoformans and respiratory epithelium.
  • Analysis of research on fungal adhesion, cytokine/chemokine release, surfactant activity, and fungal metabolic/transcriptional responses.

Main Results:

  • Cryptococcus neoformans adheres to respiratory epithelial cells, though the capsule's role in adhesion is debated.
  • Respiratory epithelia mount an immune response through cytokine and chemokine release.
  • Surfactant components and fungal metabolic/transcriptional changes in response to epithelial encounter are key aspects.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the early interactions between Cryptococcus neoformans and respiratory epithelia is crucial for developing targeted therapies.
  • Further research into adhesion dynamics, host-pathogen signaling, and fungal adaptation is warranted.
Keywords:
Cryptococcusepithelial cellshost–fungal interactions

More Related Videos

Macrophage Cholesterol Depletion and Its Effect on the Phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans11:07

Macrophage Cholesterol Depletion and Its Effect on the Phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans

Published on: December 19, 2014

13.1K
Size Matters: Measurement of Capsule Diameter in Cryptococcus neoformans08:24

Size Matters: Measurement of Capsule Diameter in Cryptococcus neoformans

Published on: February 27, 2018

14.5K

Related Concept Videos

Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
21.8K
Epithelial Tissues and Their Functions01:23

Epithelial Tissues and Their Functions

Epithelial tissues are large sheets of cells covering all of the surfaces of the body. These surfaces can be internal or external, for example, skin, airways, the digestive tract, the urinary system, and the reproductive system. Hollow organs and body cavities that do not connect to the body's exterior, including blood vessels and serous membranes, are lined by epithelial tissue known as the endothelium.
Epithelial tissues provide the body's first line of protection from physical,...
41.4K
Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Overview01:22

Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Overview

Epithelial tissues are classified according to the shape of the cells and the number of cell layers formed. Cell shapes can be squamous (flattened and thin), cuboidal (square-like, as wide as it is tall), or columnar (rectangular, taller than it is wide). Additionally, the nucleus shape helps identify the type of epithelial cells. Squamous cells have flattened disc-shaped nuclei, cuboidal cells have spherical nuclei, and columnar cells have elongated nuclei.
Based on the number of cell layers,...
22.9K
Van der Waals Interactions01:24

Van der Waals Interactions

Atoms and molecules interact with each other through intermolecular forces. These electrostatic forces arise from attractive or repulsive interactions between particles with permanent, partial, or temporary charges. The intermolecular forces between neutral atoms and molecules are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, and dispersion forces, collectively known as van der Waals forces.
72.2K
piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs02:57

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs

PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
7.7K
Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Stratified Epithelium01:29

Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Stratified Epithelium

Stratified epithelium consists of several stacked layers of cells. They provide the durability to withstand constant physical and chemical attacks. Stratified epithelium is named after the shape of the most apical layer of cells. Stratified squamous epithelium is the most common type found in the human body. In this tissue, the apical cells are squamous, whereas the basal layer contains either columnar or cuboidal cells. The basal cells divide to form new daughter cells, which gradually become...
13.3K