Figure 3.

Members of the Cryptococcus species complex are unique in their ability to form Titan cells.

C. neoformans (MD31), and representatives of other species, as indicated, were grown in YPD control medium at 24°C (indicated as #1), subject to the in vitro titanization protocol established by Dambuza et al. [33] with a modified temperature to 30°C and incubated for 48 h (indicated as #2) or 5 days (indicated as #3) or subject to conditions developed by Hommel et al. [34] (indicated as #4). Cell diameters of 100 cells from each condition were measured and plotted. For each strain, representative images are shown of the cells grown at 24°C in rich YPD medium (#1) or after 48-h incubation in titanization conditions by Dambuza et el. at 30°C (#2). Statistical significance of the difference in the mean cell diameter is indicated as follows: ns (not significant), * (0.05 > p < 0.01), ** (0.01 > p < 0.001), *** (0.001 > p < 0.0001), **** (p < 0.0001). Bars represent 10 µm.