Cryptococcus gattii sero-mating type allelic pattern determined by multiplex PCR

Molecular methods to differentiate serotypes, mating types and molecular types of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii are important tools to understand epidemiology and pathogenesis of these pathogens. In this study, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach was applied to sero-mating typing of C. gattii strains. Four pairs of primers were designed to target 4 allele-specific genes located in the mating-type locus. Twenty-three C. gattii strains, presenting different mating types and serotypes, were tested to validate the method. The method was able to identify all sero-mating allelic patterns including hybrid combinations, and therefore, it represents a simple one-step PCR for sero-mating typing of C. gattii strains.