Diversity of potencial pathogenic Cryptococcus species isolated from environment in country side São Paulo state, Brazil

Abstract

Cryptococcosis is a systemic disease caused by two species. C. neoformans species complexes are associated with cases of cryptococcosis in immunosuppressed patients, being commonly isolated from the soil and birds feces. C. gattii species complexes affects mainly immunocompetent individuals and is often isolated in native or exotic tree species in state of biodegradation. This study aimed to perform the environmental mapping of pathogenic species of the genus Cryptococcus in tree samples of public places of the city of Birigui, São Paulo. The samples were collected from regions with greater traffic in this city. After processing, morphophysiological, biochemical, carbon and nitrogen assimilation, URA5 PCR and RFLP with double enzymatic digestion tests were performed to characterize the Cryptococcus species/species complexes. The percentage of tree colonization by the C. gattii VGII was 5%, for C. neoformans VNIV was 1%, and was found 6% of C. laurentii and 3% of C. albidus species. These results suggest that there are a micro-foci and diversity of pathogenic Cryptococcus species in arboreal environment locations investigated in this study.