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Ecological niche of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii and Cryptococcus gattii in decaying wood of trunk hollows of living trees in Jabalpur City of Central India

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An Erratum to this article was published on 21 April 2009

Abstract

Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii and C. gattii were repeatedly isolated from decaying wood of trunk hollows in living trees growing in Jabalpur City in Central India. The isolation of C.␣gattii has been reported from decayed wood inside trunk hollow of Tamarindus indica (15.6%), Mangifera indica (2.2%), Pithecolobium dulce (12.5%), Syzygium cumini (14%), and one from bark of S.␣cumini. C. n. var. grubii was isolated from decaying wood debris of T. indica (4.4%), M. indica (13.3%), Terminalia arjuna (25%), S. cumini (2%), Cassia fistula (4.5%), and two from bark of S. cumini. The two varieties never co-occurred in the same hollow. C. gattii and C. n. var. grubii isolates belonged to serotype B and serotype A respectively. The data strongly supported the colonization of the pathogen in␣decaying wood hollow of all six-tree species. Evidence of this was found by repeated isolation up to 820 days. P. dulce is being reported for the first time as natural habitat of C. gattii and T.␣arjuna and C. fistula as natural habitat for C. n. var. grubii. M. indica is being reported for the second time as the natural habitat of both varieties (C. n. var. grubii and C. gattii). The population density of these pathogens from decaying wood debris of various tree species ranged between 0.5 × 103 cells/g and 6 × 105 cells/g. The seasonal variation has been seen in isolation of this yeast. Our result further reinforce the recently emerging evidence that the natural habitat of C. n. var. grubii and C. gattii is more generalized.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Vice Chancellor R. D. University and for providing laboratory facilities and to Professor Rani Shukla, Government M. H. College of Home Science and Science Jabalpur for identifying the tree Species. We also thank Mr. Arvind Kavishwar of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Jabalpur for statistical analysis of data and Dr. A. P. Upadhaya of Meterological Department of Agricultural College, Jabalpur for providing the meteorological data. The Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi for awarding Senior Research Fellowship and Research Associateship and Government of India, Ministry of Science and Technology, Department of Sciences and Technology SERC FAST Track Scheme for Young Scientist to one of the author (SRN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Mycology Research Laboratory, Department of Biological Science, Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, MP, 482001, India

    N. Grover, Shesh Rao Nawange, S. M. Singh & Archana Sharma

  2. Department of Zoology and Biotechnology, Govt. Model Autonomous Science College, Jabalpur, MP, 482001, India

    J. Naidu

  3. Flat 2 C, Pavitra Apartment, South Civil lines, Jabalpur, MP, 482001, India

    S. M. Singh

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  1. N. Grover
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  2. Shesh Rao Nawange
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  3. J. Naidu
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Correspondence to S. M. Singh.

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An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11046-009-9203-y.

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Grover, N., Nawange, S.R., Naidu, J. et al. Ecological niche of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii and Cryptococcus gattii in decaying wood of trunk hollows of living trees in Jabalpur City of Central India. Mycopathologia 164, 159–170 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-007-9039-2

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