Despite Cn plb1 and Rec1 strains exhibiting lower cryptococcal burden than H99 in peripheral tissues, a substantial difference in brain tissue fungal burden and cryptococcoma formation was observed between plb1 infection and H99 or Rec1 infection at 7 dpi, confirming that PLB1 is essential for fungal survival in the CNS. The gene discussed is RAD1; the disease is infection.