Failure to Demonstrate Capsular Swelling in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Abstract

An important ques-penicillinase is an inducible (adaptive) enzyme similar to that found in many spp. of the genus Bacillus.[long dash]Authors. tion in the mechanism of the "capsular reaction" is whether or not the capsule swells when antibody is added. Exposure of washed, encapsulated C.neoformans to antibody results in a prominent clarification of capsular outline, but no increase in capsular size as determined by packed cell volume after centrifugation and by direct microscopic measurement. When cells with large capsules are used, there is an apparent decrease in capsular size during the reaction with antibody. If capsulated cells are not washed free of soluble capsular polysac-charide present in the cultural supernate, the soluble antigen copre-cipitates when antibody is added. This may lead to the erroneous conclusion that there is an increase in capsular volume.