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The Case for Adopting the "Species Complex" Nomenclature for the Etiologic Agents of Cryptococcosis.

Kwon-Chung, KJ; Bennett, JE; Wickes, BL; Meyer, W; Cuomo, CA; Wollenburg, KR; Bicanic, TA; Castañeda, E; Chang, YC; Chen, J; et al. 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 (1). 00357-16. ISSN 2379-5042 https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00357-16
SGUL Authors: Harrison, Thomas Stephen Bicanic, Tihana

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Abstract

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.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: © 2017 Kwon-Chung et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Keywords: Cryptococcosis, Cryptococcus gattii, Cryptococcus neoformans, clade, genetic diversity, new nomenclature, species complex
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Infection and Immunity Research Institute (INII)
Journal or Publication Title: mSphere
ISSN: 2379-5042
Language: eng
Dates:
DateEvent
11 January 2017Published
23 December 2016Accepted
Publisher License: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Projects:
Project IDFunderFunder ID
614562European Research CouncilUNSPECIFIED
PubMed ID: 28101535
Go to PubMed abstract
URI: https://openaccess.sgul.ac.uk/id/eprint/108560
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00357-16

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