The Case for Adopting the “Species Complex” Nomenclature for the Etiologic Agents of Cryptococcosis

Cryptococcosis is a potentially lethal disease of humans/animals caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii . Distinction between the two species is based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Recently, it was proposed that C. neoformans be divided into two species and C. gatti...

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Published in:mSphere Vol. 2; no. 1
Main Authors: Kwon-Chung, Kyung J., Bennett, John E., Wickes, Brian L., Meyer, Wieland, Cuomo, Christina A., Wollenburg, Kurt R., Bicanic, Tihana A., Castañeda, Elizabeth, Chang, Yun C., Chen, Jianghan, Cogliati, Massimo, Dromer, Françoise, Ellis, David, Filler, Scott G., Fisher, Matthew C., Harrison, Thomas S., Holland, Steven M., Kohno, Shigeru, Kronstad, James W., Lazera, Marcia, Levitz, Stuart M., Lionakis, Michail S., May, Robin C., Ngamskulrongroj, Popchai, Pappas, Peter G., Perfect, John R., Rickerts, Volker, Sorrell, Tania C., Walsh, Thomas J., Williamson, Peter R., Xu, Jianping, Zelazny, Adrian M., Casadevall, Arturo
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 01.01.2017
Subjects:
clade
Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcus gattii
Cryptococcus neoformans
Fungal infections
genetic diversity
new nomenclature
Cryptococcus gattii
genetic diversity
species complex
Cryptococcus neoformans
Cryptococcosis
new nomenclature
clade
ISSN:2379-5042, 2379-5042
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Cryptococcosis is a potentially lethal disease of humans/animals caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii . Distinction between the two species is based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Recently, it was proposed that C. neoformans be divided into two species and C. gattii into five species based on a phylogenetic analysis of 115 isolates. While this proposal adds to the knowledge about the genetic diversity and population structure of cryptococcosis agents, the published genotypes of 2,606 strains have already revealed more genetic diversity than is encompassed by seven species. Naming every clade as a separate species at this juncture will lead to continuing nomenclatural instability. In the absence of biological differences between clades and no consensus about how DNA sequence alone can delineate a species, we recommend using “ Cryptococcus neoformans species complex” and “ C. gattii species complex” as a practical intermediate step, rather than creating more species. This strategy recognizes genetic diversity without creating confusion.
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Citation Kwon-Chung KJ, Bennett JE, Wickes BL, Meyer W, Cuomo CA, Wollenburg KR, Bicanic TA, Castañeda E, Chang YC, Chen J, Cogliati M, Dromer F, Ellis D, Filler SG, Fisher MC, Harrison TS, Holland SM, Kohno S, Kronstad JW, Lazera M, Levitz SM, Lionakis MS, May RC, Ngamskulrongroj P, Pappas PG, Perfect JR, Rickerts V, Sorrell TC, Walsh TJ, Williamson PR, Xu J, Zelazny AM, Casadevall A. 2017. The case for adopting the “species complex” nomenclature for the etiologic agents of cryptococcosis. mSphere 2:e00357-16. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00357-16.
ISSN:2379-5042
2379-5042
DOI:10.1128/mSphere.00357-16