Anamorph
Guides
Cryptococcus
Cryptococcus is a genus of basidiomycete fungi in the family Cryptococcaceae, encompassing both yeast and filamentous forms. The genus includes medically significant species such as C. neoformans and C. gattii, which cause cryptococcosis, a potentially fatal systemic mycosis particularly affecting immunocompromised individuals. Species exhibit dimorphism, existing as encapsulated yeasts in environmental and clinical settings, with sexual reproduction producing basidiospores via club-shaped basidia. The polysaccharide capsule, particularly glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), serves as the primary virulence factor in pathogenic species.
Leucostoma
Leucostoma is a genus of ascomycete fungi in the family Cytosporaceae (order Diaporthales). Species in this genus are plant pathogens that cause canker diseases, primarily affecting woody hosts. The genus produces both sexual (perithecia) and asexual (pycnidia) fruiting bodies, with the asexual stage formerly classified under the name Leucocytospora. Leucostoma species are distributed across temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.