Pigment production by Cryptococcus neoformans and other Cryptococcus species from aminophenols and diaminobenzenes

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Abstract
C. neoformans and other Cryptococcus spp. can produce pigment(s) from many aminophenol and diaminobenzene compounds. Pigment production from these compounds is similar to the conversion of diphenols to melanin by C. neoformans. Several pigmentation patterns (resulting in the identification or grouping of Cryptococcus spp.) were observed by using diaminobenzene and aminophenol compounds as substrates. The most common pigmentation pattern observed was pigment production by both C. neoformans and C. terreus. In contrast to the diphenols, only 2 aminophenols (4-hydroxymetanilamide and 3-aminotyrosine) were found to be highly specific as substrates. They allowed only C. neoformans to produce pigment. When 4-aminosalicylic acid was the substrate, a unique pattern was observed because only C. terreus, C. diffluens and C. albidus produced pigment. Finally, a pattern was observed in which C. neoformans produced large amounts of pigment from aminophenol and diaminobenzene compounds, whereas the other Cryptococcus spp. produced smaller amounts. A simplified shceme with 3 substrates resulted in the identification of C. terreus and C. neoformans as well as 2 groups of other Cryptococcus spp., group I (C. albidus and C. diffluens) and group II (C. laurentii and C. luteolus).