Correspondence

Separated at Birth

N Engl J Med 1999; 340:395February 4, 1999

Article

To the Editor:

Cryptococcus neoformans produces a phenol oxidase (laccase) that can synthesize melanin from a variety of substrates. A clinical isolate of C. neoformans was grown in the presence of levodopa and then treated with detergent and hydrogen chloride to isolate melanin “ghosts” of yeast cells.1 The melanin particles were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Figure 1Figure 1Scanning Electron Micrograph of Purified Melanin from Cryptococcus neoformans. shows an image of two cryptococcal melanin “ghosts.” The top cell is budding. We think the figure shows a striking similarity to a rubber duck.

Joshua D. Nosanchuk, M.D.
Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461

1 References

1. 1

   Wang Y, Aisen P, Casadevall A. Melanin, melanin “ghosts,“ and melanin composition in Cryptococcus neoformans. Infect Immun 1996;64:2420-2424
   Web of Science | Medline