Fungal pathogens represent an important group of human pathogenic microbes that lead to an unacceptably severe global burden especially due to exceptionally high mortality. For many fungal pathogens, they are widespread saprophytes and human host is not the exclusive niche for their proliferation. Their exceptional capability to survive and thrive within infected host likely stems from their sophisticated strategies in adaptation to diverse biotic and abiotic stressors from natural niches or predators. Among these 'environmental pathogens', Cryptococcus neoformans as a model organism claims the lives of more than half a million annually. Some recent studies indicate that cryptococcal survival both inside and outside of hosts can be coordinated by a combination of social behaviors. In this review, we describe and discuss the social behaviors employed by C. neoformans and address their significant impact on biofilm formation, sexual reproduction and pathogenicity.
人类病原真菌代表了病原微生物一个重要类群，主要感染免疫缺陷、受损和受抑制的患者，导致很高的死亡率。绝大多数的人类病原真菌属于环境病原微生物，它们与人类宿主并无长期共同进化史以及紧密的共生关系，这类真菌被称为环境病原真菌。新生隐球菌作为环境病原真菌的模式种，每年导致约60 万人死亡。与其他环境病原真菌相似，该菌的致病能力并不由宿主因素驱动，而是衍生于其对于生境压力出色的适应性策略。近几年来的研究表明，群体或社会行为可能作为一个关键环境适应策略，广泛参与新生隐球菌的感染、耐药以及有性生殖过程。本文以新生隐球菌为例，针对生物被膜以及生物被膜样群落，总结其中的群体或社会调控方式，并对其研究前景和临床应用提出了一些思考。.
Keywords: Cryptococcus neoformans; biofilm; cell communication; human fungal pathogen; sexual reproduction.