Taxonomic studies on the genus Cystofilobasidium: description of Cystofilobasidium ferigula sp nov and clarification of the status of Cystofilobasidium lari-marini

A new species of the genus Cystofilobasidium is described as Cystofilobasid ium ferigula sp. nov. The new taxon represents the teleomorphic stage of Cr yptococcus ferigula and was obtained in mating experiments using three stra ins deposited in the Portuguese Yeast Culture Collection (mating types A1) and a recent isolate (mating type A2). Cystofilobasidium ferigula is charac terized using an integrated approach encompassing morphological studies, in vestigation of the ultrastructure of the septal pore, a comparative study o f physiological traits, determination of the DNA base composition, DNA reas sociation experiments and PCR fingerprinting. During the course of this stu dy, a close similarity of microsatellite-primed PCR fingerprints was detect ed between Cystofilobasidium lari-marini and Cystofilobasidium capitatum. D NA-DNA reassociation experiments gave high homology values, which indicates that Cystofilobasidium lari-marini must be regarded as a synonym of Cystof ilobasidium capitatum.