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Updated: Dec 25, 2025
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Biolistic Transformation of a Fluorescent Tagged Gene into the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans
Published on: March 19, 2015
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Mechanisms of Cryptococcus neoformans-Mediated Host Damage
Arturo Casadevall1, Carolina Coelho1, Alexandre Alanio1,2,3
1Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Frontiers in Immunology
|May 16, 2018
Summary
Cryptococcus neoformans, though not typically viewed as cytotoxic, actively damages host cells and tissues through diverse mechanisms. This fungal damage contributes to cryptococcosis pathogenesis by impairing immune responses and barrier integrity.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Pathogenesis
- Immunology
Background:
- Cryptococcus neoformans is often underestimated as a cytotoxic fungal pathogen.
- Emerging evidence indicates significant host cell and tissue damage caused by C. neoformans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence of C. neoformans-mediated host damage.
- To elucidate the diverse mechanisms underlying fungal-induced cytotoxicity.
- To examine host damage at multiple biological levels.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating C. neoformans and host interactions.
- Analysis of molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal data on fungal pathogenesis.
- Synthesis of evidence on direct cytotoxic mechanisms.
Main Results:
- C. neoformans employs diverse direct cytotoxic mechanisms, including lytic exocytosis, organelle dysfunction, phagolysosomal membrane damage, and cytoskeletal alterations.
- Fungal cytotoxicity disrupts immune effector cell function.
- Endothelial barrier disruption by C. neoformans facilitates pathogen dissemination.
Conclusions:
- Cryptococcus neoformans actively damages host cells and tissues through various mechanisms.
- This fungal-induced damage is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of cryptococcosis.
- Understanding these mechanisms is key to addressing the disease.
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