Temperature-sensitive strain of Cryptococcus neoformans producing hyphal elements in a feline nasal granuloma

We report the isolation of a temperature-sensitive, serotype A, mating type alpha strain of Cryptococcus neoformans from a case of nasal cryptococcosi s in a cat. The strain grew extremely slowly at 35 degrees C and failed to grow at 37 degrees C in vitro. Histopathological sections of the infected t issue revealed Feast cells producing hyphae up to several hundred micromete rs in length, in addition to numerous encapsulated yeast cells typical of C . neoformans. The cultures grown on yeast extract-peptone glucose agar at 3 5 degrees C also produced some yeast cells with germ tube-like hyphal eleme nts up to 100 mu m in length.