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Macrophage Cholesterol Depletion and Its Effect on the Phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans
Published on: December 19, 2014
Banana blossom agar (BABA), a new medium to isolate members of the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii
Kantarawee Khayhan1,2,3, Siriprapa Juntaboon4, Wenjie Fang2,5,6
1Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand.
Abstract:
Isolation of representatives of the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex can be made using dopamine containing media, such as Niger seed agar and l-DOPA agar. Here, we describe an alternative medium that uses banana flowers. Banana is a dopamine containing fruit and is widely available in tropical and subtropical countries that have high numbers of cryptococcosis patients. This banana blossom-based agar is useful for the enrichment of isolates of the C. neoformans/C. gattii species complex from environmental and clinical materials. The banana blossom agar (BABA) with and without creatinine can differentiate between the melanin forming isolates of the C. neoformans/C. gattii species complex from other yeasts that do not form melanin.
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