![]() ![]() The lines in (b) represent the mean capsule thickness of 20 individual cells. (a) Shows representative images, whereas (b) shows that capsule thickness measurements yield similar results with both methods. neoformans cells were incubated in two different capsule-inducing conditions (MM and Sab-MOPS) and in non-inducing Sabouraud medium for 24 h prior to imaging with the method we describe and the standard India ink staining. India ink staining is simple, cheap and quick, and a commonly used standard for researchers who wish to visualize the capsule.Ĭomparison between DIC imaging with Percoll and India ink staining. The India ink particles form a dark background that reveals the light-permeant capsule around yeast cells by contrast ( Figure 1(a )). ![]() For visualizing the capsule, the most common method is the India ink test: the CSF sample is mixed with a small amount of ink and a droplet of the resulting suspension is observed on a glass slide under a light microscope. The capsule is also the morphological signature of the Cryptococcus genus: the detection of yeast cells surrounded by a polysaccharide layer in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients is a standard procedure for diagnosis of cryptococcosis. This structure envelops the yeast cell, protects it from phagocytosis and has immunomodulatory properties that favor progression of the infection. Cryptococcus neoformans, the most important agent of fungal meningitis, produces a thick polysaccharide capsule, one of its main virulence factors. ![]()
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