title: Starmerella meliponinorum sp. nov., a novel ascomycetous yeast species associated with stingless bees.
abstract: Thirty-two strains of the novel species Starmerella meliponinorum sp. nov. were isolated from various substrates associated with three stingless bee species (tribe Meliponini) in Brazil and one in Costa Rica. The strains were found in garbage pellets (faecal material, discarded pollen or food, etc.), pollen provisions, adult bees, honey and propolis of Tetragonisca angustula, in honey from Melipona quadritasciata and in adults of Melipona rufiventris and Trigona fulviventris. The sequence of the D1/D2 domains of the large-subunit rDNA showed that the novel species belongs to the Starmerella clade and is most closely related to Candida etchellsii, although the two differ in their sequences by 7% base substitutions. S. meliponinorum is homothallic and assimilates few carbon sources. Nitrate is utilized as a sole nitrogen source. The type strain of S. meliponinorum is strain UFMG-01-J26.1T (=CBS 9117T).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia - ICB, CP 486, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana C P
authors.initials: ACP
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia - ICB, CP 486, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marjorie M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia - ICB, CP 486, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jacques R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Nicoli
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral - ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yasmine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Antonini
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral - ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogerio P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
authors.forename: Marc-André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lachance
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia - ICB, CP 486, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D001516:Bees / Q000382:microbiology*; D001938:Brazil; D003364:Costa Rica; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D012331:RNA, Fungal