Cover photograph (Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.): Sexual forms of Cryptococcus gattii (Filobasidiella bacillispora) with hyphae, basidia, and basidiospores. The scanning electron photomicrograph was shaded with pseudocolors to highlight structural details (coloring courtesy of Stuart Lehrman). The compatible pairs of yeast cells (MATα and MATa), used in mating reactions, appear light brown. Hyphae, resulting from yeast cell conjugations, are shaded bluish-gray. Globe-shaped to semi-club-shaped basidia are colored in cream. Straight or slightly curved basidiospores or sexual spores are in light green. The characteristic four-spot basidiospore arrangement on the basidium is seen in the lower right. Deletion of C. gattii STE12 causes delayed and poor mating. (See related article on page 1065.)

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