Molecular Study of Lycopene Effect on Clinical Isolates of Cryptococcus Neoformans

Background: In Iraq, Cryptococcosis is the most common causes of invasive fungal infections. Cryptococcus neoformans appears a highly resistance toward antifungal treatments. Thus, this study revealed the correlation between this yeast and different infections as well as detect the Lycopene effect as an antifungal. Objectives: To detect the effect of Lycopene on resistant C. neoformans isolates that were isolated from different infections. Materials and Methods: One hundred swabs were collected from patients with respiratory infections, burns and meningitis which distributed as (40, 40 and 20) samples, respectively. The fruits of Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) were collected during the summer from local markets in Baghdad. All the clinical samples were cultured directly onto Sabouraud′s Dextrose agar (SDA) medium and incubate of 37°C for 7 days with daily examination. Lycopene was alcoholic extracted and purified using HPLC method. DNA of six C. neoformans isolates were taken away by Geneaid DNA extraction kit, depended on manufacturer′s instructions. Gene sequencing of the CAP60 gene was done to detect substitution mutations for C. neoformans that were treated and untreated with lycopene. Results: The positive percentages of C. neoformans among patients were (10.0%, 7.5% and 10.0%) for patients with respiratory infections, burns and meningitis, respectively. The macroscopic appearance of C. neoformans was ranged from whitish to creamy colored colonies with spherical, mucoid and smooth yeast cells. Microscopic examination of the yeast cell was characterized with gelatinous capsule surrounding. Molecular results revealed that the molecular weight of the CAP60 gene was 600 bp., The results of CAP60 gene sequencing indicate that two isolates treated with lycopene have more than one substitution mutation. Conclusion: the gene sequencing of the CAP60 gene revealed that the treated isolates with lycopene had more substitution mutations than the untreated isolates.