@article{1695a3197163431a81135a1a44b229d4,
title = "The case for adopting the {"}species complex{"} nomenclature for the etiologic agents of cryptococcosis",
abstract = "Cryptococcosis is a potentially lethal disease of humans/animals caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. Distinction between the two species is based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Recently, it was proposed that C. neoformans be divided into two species and C. gattii into five species based on a phylogenetic analysis of 115 isolates. While this proposal adds to the knowledge about the genetic diversity and population structure of cryptococcosis agents, the published genotypes of 2,606 strains have already revealed more genetic diversity than is encompassed by seven species. Naming every clade as a separate species at this juncture will lead to continuing nomenclatural instability. In the absence of biological differences between clades and no consensus about how DNA sequence alone can delineate a species, we recommend using {"}Cryptococcus neoformans species complex{"} and {"}C. gattii species complex{"} as a practical intermediate step, rather than creating more species. This strategy recognizes genetic diversity without creating confusion.",
keywords = "Clade, Cryptococcosis, Cryptococcus gattii, Cryptococcus neoformans, Genetic diversity, New nomenclature, Species complex",
author = "Kwon-Chung, {Kyung J.} and Bennett, {John E.} and Wickes, {Brian L.} and Wieland Meyer and Cuomo, {Christina A.} and Wollenburg, {Kurt R.} and Bicanic, {Tihana A.} and Elizabeth Casta{\~n}eda and Chang, {Yun C.} and Jianghan Chen and Massimo Cogliati and Fran{\c c}oise Dromer and David Ellis and Filler, {Scott G.} and Fisher, {Matthew C.} and Harrison, {Thomas S.} and Holland, {Steven M.} and Shigeru Kohno and Kronstad, {James W.} and Marcia Lazera and Levitz, {Stuart M.} and Lionakis, {Michail S.} and May, {Robin C.} and Popchai Ngamskulrongroj and Pappas, {Peter G.} and Perfect, {John R.} and Volker Rickerts and Sorrell, {Tania C.} and Walsh, {Thomas J.} and Williamson, {Peter R.} and Jianping Xu and Zelazny, {Adrian M.} and Arturo Casadevall",
note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by funds from the intramural program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, to K.J.K.-C., J.E.B., Y.C.C., S.M.H., M.L., and P.R.W. and an NHMRC grant, APP1031943, to W.M. and T.C.S. R.C.M. is supported by the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (FP/2007-2013) and ERC grant agreement no. 614562 and by a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award and a Lister Institute Prize Fellowship. T.C.S. is a Sydney Medical School Foundation Fellow Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Kwon-Chung et al.",
year = "2017",
month = jan,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1128/mSphere.00357-16",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "2",
journal = "mSphere",
issn = "2379-5042",
publisher = "American Society for Microbiology",
number = "1",
}