Editing Cryptococcus neoformans (section)

=== Changes in reproductive pattern ===
The vast majority of environmental and clinical isolates of ''C. neoformans'' are mating type alpha. Filaments of mating type alpha have haploid nuclei ordinarily, but these can undergo a process of diploidization (perhaps by endoduplication or stimulated nuclear fusion) to form diploid cells termed [[blastospore]]s. The diploid nuclei of blastospores are able to undergo meiosis, including recombination, to form haploid basidiospores that can then be dispersed.<ref name=Lin>{{cite journal |vauthors=Lin X, Hull CM, Heitman J | year = 2005 | title = Sexual reproduction between partners of the same mating type in ''Cryptococcus neoformans'' | journal = Nature | volume = 434 | issue = 7036| pages = 1017–1021 | pmid = 15846346 | doi=10.1038/nature03448| bibcode = 2005Natur.434.1017L | s2cid = 52857557 }}</ref> This process is referred to as monokaryotic fruiting. Required for this process is a gene designated ''dmc1'', a conserved homologue of genes ''recA'' in bacteria, and ''rad51'' in eukaryotes (see articles [[recA]] and [[rad51]]). ''Dmc1'' mediates homologous chromosome pairing during meiosis and repair of double-strand breaks in DNA.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Michod RE, Bernstein H, Nedelcu AM | title = Adaptive value of sex in microbial pathogens | journal = Infect Genet Evol | volume = 8 | issue = 3| pages = 267–285 | doi = 10.1016/j.meegid.2008.01.002 | pmid=18295550 | date=May 2008| bibcode = 2008InfGE...8..267M }}</ref> One benefit of meiosis in ''C. neoformans'' could be to promote DNA repair in the DNA-damaging environment caused by the oxidative and nitrosative agents produced in macrophages.<ref name=Lin />  Thus, ''C. neoformans'' can undergo a [[Meiosis|meiotic]] process, monokaryotic fruiting, that may promote recombinational repair in the oxidative, DNA-damaging environment of the host macrophage, and this may contribute to its virulence.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}