The Cryptococcus wall: A different wall for a unique lifestyle.

The cell wall structure varies between Cryptococcus yeast cells of different sizes The fungal cell wall is a dynamic and flexible structure that change significantly in composition during normal cell growth, environmental adaptation, or during morphological transitions. The life-threatening fungal pathogens I Cryptococcus neoformans i and I Cryptococcus gattii i are differentiated from all other human fungal pathogens by the presence of a gelatinous capsule as well as an unusual underlying cell wall. The cell wall and limitations in the use of antifungal drugs Echinocandin antifungal drugs (caspofungin, anidulafungin, and micafungin) inhibit -1,3-glucan synthesis, resulting in the disruption of cell wall integrity and, ultimately, fungal cell death [[34]]. -1,3-glucans and -1,6-glucans Unlike I Candida albicans i or I Saccharomyces cerevisiae i , the I Cryptococcus i cell wall contains more -1,6-glucan than -1,3-glucan [[3], [12]]. [Extracted from the article]

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