- Volume 69, Issue 1, 2019

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped plant growth promoting bacterium, NEAU-SY24T, was isolated from soil in Diaoshuihu, Heilongjiang, China. The isolate grew at temperatures 10–40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 5–8 (optimum, pH 6) and in the presence of up to 1 % (w/v) NaCl, although NaCl was not required for growth. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain NEAU-SY24T belonged to the genus Trinickia and was closely related to Trinickia dabaoshanensis NRRL B-59553T (99.16 % similarity) and Trinickia soli DSM 18235T (99.11 %). The average nucleotide identity values between NEAU-SY24T and its most closely related species were 79.30–87.09 %. The in silico DNA–DNA hybridization values between NEAU-SY24T and T. dabaoshanensis NRRL B-59553T and T. soli DSM 18235T were 29.30 and 24.00 %, respectively, again indicating they belong to different taxa. The genomic DNA G+C content was 63.3 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids were C_17 : 0cyclo, C_18 : 1ω7c, C_16 : 0, summed feature 2 (comprising C_14 : 0 3-OH and/or C_16 : 1iso I) and C_16 : 0 3-OH. The predominant respiratory quinone was Q-8 and the whole-cell sugars contained ribose, glucose and galactose. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, hydroxyphosphatidylethanolamine and two unidentified aminolipids. On the basis of morphological, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic analysis, strain NEAU-SY24T was classified as a novel species in the genus Trinickia , for which the name Trinickia diaoshuihuensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-SY24T (=DSM 106065T=CCTCC AA 2018003T).

Moniliella yeasts were isolated from flower samples collected in Vietnam using an enrichment medium containing 50 % (w/w) glucose. The yeasts were identified as M. byzovii, M. dehoogii, M. megachiliensis, M. mellis, M. nigrescens and M. spathulata. A group of 20 strains representing a hitherto undescribed species of Moniliella was detected. ITS sequences indicated the presence of four genetic variants differing from each other by 4–14 nt. The strains, however, were identical in the TEF1 sequences and shared 1–2 nt differences in the D1/D2 regions. In the ITS–D1/D2 phylogenetic tree, the strains grouped together and formed a well-supported clade with insect-associated Moniliella species, including M. pollinis, M. megachiliensis and M. oedocephalis. The new group was most closely related to M. pollinis but differed from the latter by 95 nt (58 substitutions, 37 indels) in the ITS, 36 nt (31 substitutions, five indels) in the D1/D2, and 30 nt (30 substitutions) in the TEF1 sequences. Moniliella floricola sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate this group of isolates. The type strain and MycoBank number of M. floricola sp. nov. are TBY 30.1T (=CBS 12758T=NRRL Y-63660T) and MB 825274, respectively.

Three strains of a novel basidiomycetous yeast were isolated from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest, Yunnan Province, PR China. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions indicated that the novel species represents a member of the genus Vanrija. It differed from the most closely related known species, Vanrija albida CBS 2839T, by 1.5 % sequence divergence (seven substitutions and two gaps out of 597 bp) in the D1/D2 domains and by 7.4 % sequence divergence (17 substitutions and 20 gaps over 495 bp) in the ITS regions, respectively. The three strains of the novel species reproduced asexually, and no mating could be found. In contrast to V. albida, the novel yeast species was able to assimilate d-glucosamine, inulin, erythritol and galactitol and unable to assimilate raffinose. The name Vanrija jinghongensis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains, with NYNU 17910T (=CICC 33269=CBS 15229) as the type strain.

In this study, we describe a new genus and species of yeast with high-salt tolerance. The strain was isolated from the pickling sauce used to make Datoucai, a traditional fermented food made from Brassica juncea in Xiangyang, China. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences from the D1/D2 region of the LSU rRNA gene and from the ITS region demonstrated that the strain, reference HBUAS51001T, was most closely related to members of the genera Occultifur and Cystobasidium. However, the greatest similarities between the D1/D2 and ITS nucleotide sequences of strain HBUAS51001T and the most closely related type strains from Occultifur and Cystobasidium were only 91 and 92 %, respectively. This suggests that strain HBUAS51001T does not belong to any currently described species. Strain HBUAS51001T grew readily on media in which xylose was the sole carbon source. The major ubiquinone was Q9. The genome of strain HBUAS51001T was 42.42 Mb with a G+C content of 53.93 mol%. Three candidate genes associated with xylose metabolism were identified. On the basis of genotypic and phenotypic data, strain HBUAS51001T can be considered as both a new species and a new genus, for which the name Halobasidium xiangyangense gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HBUAS51001T (=KCTC27810T=GDMCC 2.231T=CCTCC AY 2018002T).