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Title: FOUR NEW YEASTS IN THE PICHIA ANOMALA CLADE

Author
item Kurtzman, Cletus

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Yeasts are difficult to identify using microscopy and standard growth tests. To circumvent these problems, a gene sequence database was developed at NCAUR that allows identification of individual yeast species from differences in the chemical structure (nucleotide sequence) of their genetic material. This database is being used to identify unknown yeasts maintained in the ARS Microbial Culture Collection in a search for new species with biotechnological capabilities. From this work, a large number of new species have been discovered, and this publication provides scientific descriptions for four of them.

Technical Abstract: Four new yeasts were recognized as novel from nucleotide substitutions in domain D1/D2 of 26S ribosomal DNA, a region that is sufficiently divergent to allow resolution of most ascomycetous yeast species. The new species and their type strains are the following: Pichia maclurae NRRL Y-5377**T (CBS 8671**T), Pichia misumaiensis NRRL Y-17389**T (CBS 8062**T), Candida mycetangii NRRL Y-6843**T (CBS 8675**T), and Candida ulmi NRRL YB-2694**T (CBS 8670**T). The two Pichia species form spherical ascospores and are heterothallic. Phylogenetic analysis of domain D1/D2 sequences placed the four new species in the Pichia anomala clade.