WHOLE-CELL PROTEIN-PATTERNS, DNA-BASE COMPOSITIONS AND COENZYME Q-TYPES IN THE YEAST GENUS CRYPTOCOCCUS KUTZING AND RELATED TAXA

A numerical analysis was performed on one-dimensional whole-cell prote in electrophoretic fingerprints of 90 strains belonging to the basidio mycetous anamorphic genus Cryptococcus and presumably related taxa in the genera Filobasidium and Tremella. A significant protein electropho retic heterogeneity was observed within the species Cryptococcus albid us, C. humicola, C. laurentii and C. luteolus. This heterogeneity in p rotein profiles was confirmed by considerable variations in DNA base c omposition. A high similarity in protein profiles was confirmed by ide ntical DNA base compositions and coenzyme Q types for some strains of C. albidus var. albidus and the strains studied of C. kuetzingii. Syno nymy was also suggested for the type strain of C. elinovii and the str ains studied of C. terreus. A close relatedness was demonstrated for o ne strain of C. luteolus and two strains of C. laurentii. Strains of F ilobasidium floriforme and Cryptococcus ater, showing highly similar p rotein patterns, were characterized by an analogous range of mol% G+C content and an identical ubiquinone type. For the reference strains st udied of the genus Tremella the data suggest close relationships betwe en respectively Tremella coalescens and T. mesenterica, T. fuciformis and T. samoensis, and T. encephala and T. subanomala. There were no in dications for a close phylogenetic relatedness between species of the genera Tremella and Cryptococcus.