Torulaspora quercuum sp. nov. and Candida pseudohumilis sp. nov., novel yeasts from human and forest habitats

Abstract

Strains XZ-46A, XZ-105, XZ-129 and XZ-281T isolated from the oral cavities of healthy Tibetan volunteers were revealed to represent two novel ascomycetous yeast species by molecular taxonomic characterizations. Strain XZ-281T was most closely related to Candida humilis, but differed from the type strain of the species by eight (1.2%) substitutions in the 26S rRNA gene D1/D2 domain and by >100 (>20%) mismatches in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Strains XZ-46A, XZ-105 and XZ-129 had identical or similar D1/D2 and ITS sequences with each other and with strain 17YF T isolated from a leaf of an oak tree (Quercus sp.). The closest relative of this group was Torulaspora microellipsoides. They differed from the type strain of the species by five (0.9%) substitutions in the D1/D2 domain and >70 (>15%) mismatches in the ITS region. A sexual state was observed in strain 17YFT, but not in the other four oral strains. An anamorphic name Candida pseudohumilis sp. nov. is proposed for strain XZ-281T (=AS 2.3956T=CBS 11404T) and a teleomorphic name Torulaspora quercuum sp. nov. is proposed for strain 17YFT (=AS 2.3768T=CBS 11403T) and the other three oral strains. © 2009 Federation of European Microbiological Societies.