Diversity of yeasts associated with the sea surface microlayer and underlying water along the northern coast of Taiwan.
Yeast communities inhabiting the sea surface microlayer (SSML) on the northern coast of Taiwan were examined using a cultivation method and compared with those inhabiting the underlying water (UW) at a 50-cm depth. Culturable yeasts were recovered from the SSML and UW samples collected in the morning during 4 field campaigns, and 420 strains were isolated. The 420 isolates were grouped into 43 species using a polyphasic molecular approach, including sequence analysis of the 26S rDNA D1/D2 domain and 5.8S-ITS region. From the SSML samples, 12 genera and 39 species, including 7 new species of Cryptococcus sp. (1), Candida spp. (4), and Rhodotorula spp. (2), were isolated. From the UW samples, 10 genera and 21 species, including one new species of Rhodotorula sp. (1), were isolated. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was the most abundant species present in the yeast community in SSML (37.6%) and UW (21.6%) samples. Basidiomycetous yeasts (63.6%) and pigmented yeasts (64.5%) comprised the major yeast population. The yeast community in the SSML had a higher species number and abundance than the UW. Moreover, although the majority of yeast community species were from the SSML, individual species distribution in the SSML was unequal.
Department of Biological Science and Technology, China University of Science and Technology, Taipei 11581, Taiwan, ROC.
Chin-Feng
CF
Chang
Department of Applied Science, National Hsinchu University of Education, Hsinchu 30014, Taiwan, ROC.
Ching-Fu
CF
Lee
Department of Living Science, National Open University, New Taipei City 24701, Taiwan, ROC.
Kao-Yung
KY
Lin
Graduate Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: smliu@mail.ntou.edu.tw.
Shiu-Mei
SM
Liu
D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044822:Biodiversity; D002175:Candida / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012248:Rhodotorula / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013624:Taiwan; D015003:Yeasts / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
Characterization; Isolation; New species; Sea surface microlayer; Underlying water; Yeast community