Distribution and identification of red yeasts in deep-sea environments around the northwest Pacific Ocean

Citation
T. Nagahama et al., Distribution and identification of red yeasts in deep-sea environments around the northwest Pacific Ocean, ANTON LEEUW, 80(2), 2001, pp. 101-110
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Microbiology
Journal title
ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL AND MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
ISSN journal
00036072 → ACNP
Volume
80
Issue
2
Year of publication
2001
Pages
101 - 110
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-6072(200110)80:2<101:DAIORY>2.0.ZU;2-F
Abstract
We isolated 99 yeast strains, including 40 red yeasts, from benthic animals and sediments collected from the deep-sea floor in various areas in the no rthwest Pacific Ocean. Comparing the yeast isolates from animals and sedime nts collected from shallow locations, the proportion of red yeasts differed considerably, comprising 81.5% and 10.6% of the isolates from animals and sediments, respectively. All of the red yeast isolates belonged to the gene ra Rhodotorula and Sporobolomyces. On the basis of morphological and physio logical characteristics, the isolates were identified as R. aurantiaca, R. glutinis, R. minuta and R. mucilaginosa of the genus Rhodotorula, and S. sa lmonicolor and S. shibatanus of the genus Sporobolomyces. Only R. glutinis and R. mucilaginosa were isolated from sediments. All of the others were is olated from animal sources. Phylogenetic analyses based on internal transcr ibed spacer (ITS) regions and 5.8S rRNA gene sequences allowed us to establ ish the precise taxonomic placement of each of the isolates and thereby inv estigate the intraspecific relationships among the isolates. Twenty-two str ains identified as members of R. glutinis, which showed a wide distribution in the deep-sea, and five isolates identified as R. minuta, which were iso lated only from benthic animals, showed substantial heterogeneity within th e species. The isolates phenotypically identified as Sporobolomyces species and R. mucilaginosa phylogenetically occupied the placements corresponding to these species. Some strains assigned to known species on the basis of p henotypic features should be regarded as new species as suggested by the re sults of molecular analysis.