title: Metschnikowia cubensis sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from flowers in Cuba.
abstract: A novel yeast species is described from 19 strains isolated from flowers and insects in three provinces of Cuba. The species is so far known only from Cuba. Characteristic asci and ascospores as well as phylogenetic analysis of the rDNA sequence place the novel species in the genus Metschnikowia. The novel species belongs to the New World subclade of large-spored species of Metschnikowia. Mating tests with other members of the subclade resulted in the formation of sterile asci without ascospores, showing that the Cuban strains represent a distinct biological species. Intraspecies matings lead to the production of fertile asci containing large needle-shaped ascospores. The novel species was further distinguished from its close relatives by rDNA sequences and PCR fingerprinting using primers derived from mini- and microsatellites. We propose the name Metschnikowia cubensis sp. nov. and designate MUCL 45753(T) (=CRGF 279(T) =CBS 10832(T), h(+)) as the type strain and MUCL 45751 (=CRGF 278 =CBS 10833, h(-)) as the allotype.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Carretera de Varona, Boyeros, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fidalgo-Jiménez
authors.forename: Heide-Marie
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Evrard
authors.forename: Cony
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Decock
authors.forename: Marc-André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lachance
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003462:Cuba; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D035264:Flowers / Q000382:microbiology*; D007313:Insecta / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer