RESULTS:

Three strains of a novel yeast species were isolated from rotting wood in the Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest Yunnan Province PR China. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions showed that the novel species represents a member of the genus Saturnispora. It differed from its closest known species Saturnispora sekii CBS 10931T by 1.3 % nucleotide substitutions in the D1/D2 domains and by 2.2 % nucleotide substitutions in the ITS regions respectively. In contrast to Saturnispora sekii the novel yeast species was unable to assimilate glycerol dl-lactate succinate and citrate and grow at 37 °C. The name Saturnispora galanensis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains with NYNU 1797 as the holotype.

Four strains NYNU 15610 NYNU 15612 NYNU 15613 and NYNU 15615 of a novel ascomycetous yeast were isolated from the gut of Allomyrina dichotoma (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae) collected from two different localities in Henan Province Central PR China. The four strains shared identical sequences in both of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer regions. Sequence analyses revealed that this novel species represents a member of the genus Metschnikowia. It differed from its closest known species Metschnikowia zobellii Metschnikowiaaustralis and Metschnikowia bicuspidata by 8.4–9.2 % sequence divergence (33–40 nt substitutions and 7–12 gaps over 509 bases) in the D1/D2 sequences. The formation of ascospores was not observed on various sporulation media. In contrast to M. zobellii M. australis and M. bicuspidata the novel yeast species was unable to assimilate succinate ethanol ethylamine cadaverine and 10 % NaCl plus 5 % glucose but was able to grow in vitamin-free medium. The name Metschnikowia baotianmanensis f.a. sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains with NYNU 15613 as the holotype.

Three strains representing a novel species of yeast were isolated from samples of rotting wood collected from Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest in Yunnan Province PR China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene revealed that the novel species is a member of the genus Cyberlindnera although the formation of ascospores was not observed. The novel species was related most closely to the type strain of the species Candida pattaniensis but they had a 0.5 % sequence divergence (3 substitutions 0 gap) in the D1/D2 domain and a 5.4 % sequence divergence (21 substitutions 10 gaps) in the ITS region. The novel species could also be differentiated from the closely related species by some biochemical and physiological characteristics. The species name Cyberlindnera xishuangbannaensis f.a. sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains with NYNU 16752T (=CICC 33163T=CBS 14692T) designated as the type strain. The MycoBank number is MB 822199.

Four yeast strains were isolated from rotting wood samples collected in the Baotianman Nature Reserve in Henan Province Central China. On the basis of sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer regions they were suggested to be two novel species of the genus Pichia. Pichia nanzhaoensis sp. nov. produces one to four spherical ascospores per ascus and is most closely related to Candida pseudolambica. Pichia paraexigua f.a. sp. nov. is a sister taxa to Pichia exigua but the formation of ascospores was not observed on various sporulation media. P. nanzhaoensis sp. nov. can weakly assimilate inulin whereas P. paraexigua sp. nov. can weakly assimilate d-glucosamine. The type strain of Pichia nanzhaoensis is NYNU 178136T (=CICC 33279T=CBS 15346T) and the type strain of Pichia paraexigua is NYNU 178135T (=CICC 33278T=CBS 15237T).

Two strains representing a novel yeast species were isolated from plant leaves collected in the Baotianman Nature Reserve in Henan Province central China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1-5.8S–ITS2) and the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rRNA gene revealed that the novel species belonged to the genus Hyphopichia although the formation of ascospores was not observed. The novel species was related most closely to Hyphopichia paragotoi CBS 13913T but they differed by 0.9 % sequence divergence (five substitutions) in the D1/D2 domain and by 3.7 % sequence divergence (seven substitutions and eight gaps) in the ITS region. Furthermore the novel species can also be differentiated from the closely related species in some biochemical and physiological characteristics. The species name of Hyphopichia xiaguanensis f.a. sp. nov. (Holotype CBS 16668 Mycobank MB 842425) is proposed to accommodate strains NYNU 20899T and NYNU 20914.

During an investigation of the diversity of airborne yeasts in a famous Chinese baijiu fermentation workshop two yeast strains were isolated from the air of the Wuliangye 501# baijiu-making workshop in Yibin Sichuan Province PR China and subjected to taxonomic analysis. The results of phylogenetic analysis of two regions of the rRNA gene cluster the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region indicated that these strains represented a novel species of the genus Moniliella distinct from closely related species. The similarity between the novel species and the most closely related known species Moniliella dehoogii was 94.1 % for the D1/D2 LSU rRNA gene (30 substitutions and 12 indels out of 556 bp) and 95.6 % for the ITS region (9 substitutions and 6 indels out of 475 bp). In contrast with M. dehoogii this novel species was able to assimilate d-ribose l-arabinose d-arabinose cellobiose d-glucono-15-lactone dl-lactate citrate 12-propanediol 23-butanediol and ethanol but was unable to ferment raffinose or assimilate inulin. On the basis of the results of phylogenetic analysis and the physiological characteristics these investigated strains represent a novel species of the genus Moniliella for which the name Moniliella aeria sp. nov. is proposed. Its holotype is CGMCC 20235T and the MycoBank number is MB840188.

Two strains (NYNU 218101 and NYNU 218104) of an asexual yeast species were isolated from insect frass collected in insect tunnels of red leaf plum trees in the Henan Province central China. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region showed that these two strains belonged to the genus Danielozyma with Danielozyma litseae as the closest known species. They differed from the type strain of D. litseae by 0.6 % substitutions (three substitutions and one gap) in the D1/D2 domain and by 5.1 % substitutions (19 substitutions and six gaps) in the ITS region respectively. When compared with the partial ACT1 TEF1 and RPB1 gene sequences they differed by 3 % (26 substitutions) 2.7 % (25 substitutions) and 9 %(54 substitutions) from D. litseae NRRL YB-3246T in these regions. Physiologically they also differed from its closest known species D. litseae based on the ability to assimilate inulin and galactitol as well as to grow in 0.1 % cycloheximide and its inability to ferment maltose and raffinose. In order to classify the two new isolates based on morphological and molecular evidence we proposed the description of a novel species Danielozyma pruni sp. nov. with strain JCM 35735T as holotype (Mycobank MB 849101).

A novel basidiomycete yeast species represented by strain NYNU 2211328 was isolated from a leaf of Akebia trifoliata collected from the Baotianman Nature Reserve in Henan Province central China. Phylogenetic analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region suggested that this strain is closely related to Naohidea sebacea CBS 8477 exhibiting the similarity values of 96.5% and 91.3% in the D1/D2 domain and the ITS region respectively. Physiologically the novel strain differs from N. sebacea in its ability to assimilate inulin trehalose and d-arabinose its inability to assimilate dl-lactate and its incapability of growth at 30 °C. Both phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the isolated strain represents a novel species in the genus Naohidea and the name Naohidea akebiae fa. sp. nov. (holotype: CICC 33584; MycoBank number: MB 855585) is proposed.