- Volume 62, Issue Pt_12, 2012

A novel species of ascomycetous yeast, Candida coquimbonensis sp. nov., from the necrotic tissue of cacti in Chile and Australia is described. C. coquimbonensis sp. nov. is closely related and phenotypically similar to Phaffomyces opuntiae. There is no overlap in the geographical distribution between C. coquimbonensis and any species in the Phaffomyces clade. However, this is the first member of the clade to be collected in both native (Chile) and non-native (Australia) cactus habitats. The type strain of C. coquimbonensis sp. nov. is TSU 00-206.4BT ( = CBS 12348T = USCFST 12-103T).

Four strains of a novel heterothallic yeast species were isolated from rotten wood collected in or near the Pilis Mountains in Hungary. The strains produced riboflavin in liquid culture. Analysis of gene sequences for the D1/D2 domains of the LSU nuclear rRNA, as well as analysis of concatenated gene sequences for the D1/D2 nuclear LSU rRNA, mitochondrial SSU rRNA and cytochrome oxidase II placed the novel species in a small clade including only two recognized species, Candida santjacobensis and Candida transvaalensis, in the family Trichomonascaceae. DNA sequence analyses demonstrated that the novel species was distinct from all currently recognized teleomorphic yeast genera. The name Diddensiella caesifluorescens gen nov., sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate the novel genus and species. The new genus proposed here can be recognized only from gene sequence analysis, because the characters of its asexual reproduction and ascospore formation are shared by several members of the genera Trichomonascus, Sugiyamaella and Spencermartinsiella. The type and isotype strains of D. caesifluorescens are NCAIM Y.01949T ( = NRRL Y-48781T = CBS 12613T) and NCAIM Y.01956I ( = NRRL Y-48782I = CBS 12614I), respectively. In view of their close relatedness to D. caesifluorescens, C. santjacobensis and C. transvaalensis are transferred to the genus Diddensiella as new combinations in accordance with changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants.

Thirteen strains of yeasts typical of the genus Moniliella were isolated from fermenting meat and meat processing tools in Vietnam. PCR fingerprints generated by primer (GAC)5 subdivided the strains into two distinctive genetic groups. In a phylogenetic tree based on D1/D2 large subunit rRNA gene sequences, the strains formed a well-supported clade with Moniliella spathulata and Moniliella suaveolens but represented two new lineages. The names Moniliella carnis sp. nov. and Moniliella dehoogii sp. nov. are proposed. The two novel species can be distinguished from each other and from known species of Moniliella based on phenotypic characteristics. It is assumed that the yeasts were associated with fatty substances that contaminated the meat processing tools. The type strain of Moniliella carnis is KFP 246T ( = CBS 126447T = NRRL Y-48681T) and the type strain of Moniliella dehoogii is KFP 211T ( = CBS 126564T = NRRL Y-48682T).

Two strains isolated from rotten wood were included in the Saccharomyces group based on morphological characteristics. However, rRNA gene sequence analyses (including the 18S rRNA gene, 26S rRNA gene D1/D2 domain and internal transcribed spacer region) indicated that these two strains represent a novel species of Naumovozyma, for which the name Naumovozyma baii sp. nov. is proposed (type strain: BW 22T = CGMCC 2.04520T = CBS 12642T). The MycoBank number of the new species is MB800484.

Taxonomic analysis of five yeast strains isolated from Hibiscus flowers in Brunei (Borneo) is described. The strains represent a dimorphic, biofilm-producing, anamorphic budding yeast species for which the name Pichia bruneiensis is proposed. P. bruneiensis alternates between yeast and pseudohyphal modes of growth. The pseudohyphae form biofilms on the surface of liquid media and penetrate into solid substrates. The sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA genes, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the 18S rRNA genes were identical in the five strains and indicated a close phylogenetic relationship with teleomorph species of the genus Pichia. In a phylogenetic analysis of these sequences, the closest relative of the new species was Pichia fermentans (6 % nucleotide substitutions and indels in the D1/D2 domain). The type strain is 11-485T and has been deposited in the Centralbureau voor Schimmelcultures (Utrecht, the Netherlands) as CBS 12611T, the National Collection of Agricultural and Industrial Micro-organisms (Budapest, Hungary) as NCAIM Y.02019T and the Culture Collection of Yeasts (Bratislava, Slovakia) as CCY 29-189-1T. Mycobank no. MB800537.