title: Metahyphopichia laotica gen. nov., sp. nov., a polymorphic yeast related to Hyphopichia.
abstract: Four strains alternating between yeast and filamentous growth morphologies were isolated from flowers in two regions of Laos. In liquid environment the isolates propagated by budding and developed irregularly shaped pseudohyphae. On solid media, their yeast cells switched to hyphal growth which could return to the yeast phase by developing lateral blastoconidia. The sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) 26S rRNA genes, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the small subunit (SSU) 18S rRNA genes were identical in the four strains and differed from the corresponding sequences of other yeast species available in databases by at least 11 % (D1/D2), 13 % (ITS) and 7 % (SSU). In an independent project, two strains with D1/D2 and ITS sequences very similar to those of the Laotian strains were found in bark samples collected in Brazil. The six strains also differed from the closest yeast species in physiological properties, indicating that they represented a hitherto undescribed species. Phylogenetic analysis of the D1/D2 sequences, and the concatenated sequences of the SSU rRNA genes, D1/D2 domains of LSU rRNA genes as well as the protein-encoding genes ACT1 and TEF1 placed thestrains close to Hyphopichia. To reflect this position, the novel genus name Metahyphopichia gen. nov. and the novel species name Metahyphopichia laotica gen. nov., sp. nov. are proposed for them. The type strain of the type species is 11-1006T(=CBS 13022T=CCY 092-001-001T=NCAIM Y.02126T) and was isolated in Luang Prabang (Laos). MycoBank registration numbers are MB 808253 (Metahyphopichia) and MB 808254 (Metahyphopichia laotica).
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sipiczki
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Walter P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Pfliegler
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, ICB, C.P. 486, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvana V B
authors.initials: SVB
authors.lastname: Safar
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiologia Ambiental e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Palmas, TO 77020-220, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, ICB, C.P. 486, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rosa
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D035264:Flowers / Q000382:microbiology*; D007812:Laos; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; C065096:RNA, ribosomal, 26S