Basidiomycete
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.