PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS AND DIFFERENTIATION OF SPECIES OF AUREOBASIDIUM-PULLULANS (DE BARY) FUNGUS

This study presents data on phylogenetic analysis of strains of yeastl ike fungi of genus Aureobasidium obtained on the basis of rDNA polymor phism and identification of biological (genetic) species using the pol ymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique with universal primers (UP-PCR) (primer 21) in a hybridization variant. Previously performed subdivis ion into species is confirmed. Results obtained using a traditional ap proach based on rDNA and those obtained by the novel UP-PCR technique were shown to agree. Five strains of the taxonomic A. pullulans specie s were redetermined as Hormionema sp. Forty A, pullulans strains were divided into three independent species of genus Aureobasidium. Two of these are in a state of considerable (Species I) and moderate (species II) divergence. Apparently, groups II and III have emerged relatively recently as independent species and evolved not far from each other a nd from species I. Strains F2455 and F121, which were previously attri buted to A. microstictum, have been excluded from the genus Aureobasid ium.