INTERPOPULATIONAL KILLER INTERACTIONS IN YEASTS OF THE GENUS DEBARYOMYCES

Three species of the genus Debaryomyces, D. polymorphus, D. hansenii, and D. vanriji, isolated from natural substrates were studied with res pect to their killer activity at interspecies and intraspecies levels. Intraspecies killer interactions in D. hansenii involve a wider spect rum of phenotypes (K, KS, S) than in D. polymorphus (K, KS). The speci es D. vanriji is characterized by both intrageneric and intraspecies i mmunity (N-phenotype). No killer interactions were found between strai ns of D. hansenii and D. vanriji isolated from the same habitat (an an t hill).