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Cryptococcus neoformans is a ubiquitous environmental fungus and an opportunistic pathogen that causes fatal cryptococcal meningitis. Advances in genomics, genetics, and cellular and molecular biology of C. neoformans have dramatically improved our understanding of this important pathogen, rendering it a model organism to study eukaryotic biology and microbial pathogenesis. In light of recent progress, we describe in this review the life cycle of C. neoformans with a special emphasis on the regulation of the yeast-to-hypha transition and different modes of sexual reproduction, in addition to the impacts of the life cycle on cryptococcal populations and pathogenesis.
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Supplemental Video 1. Cryptococcal cells transition from the yeast form to the hyphal form. The expression of ZNF2 of this PCTR4-2ZNF2 strain is controlled by the promoter of the copper transporter CTR4. The strain was incubated under the ZNF2-inducing condition (YPD+BCS liquid) and monitored overtime with an imaging reader Cytation 5. Supplemental Video 2. Cryptococcal hyphal cells bud off yeast cells from hypha tips or septa. Hyphae of the PCTR4-2ZNF2 strain were incubated under the ZNF2-suppressing condition (YPD+ Cu2+ liquid) and monitored over time with Cytation 5.