title: Revisiting the pink-red pigmented basidiomycete mirror yeast of the phyllosphere.
abstract: By taking advantage of the ballistoconidium-forming capabilities of members of the genus Sporobolomyces, we recovered ten isolates from deciduous tree leaves collected from Vermont and Washington, USA. Analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene and the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene indicate that all isolates are closely related. Further analysis of their physiological attributes shows that all were similarly pigmented yeasts capable of growth under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions, all were tolerant of repeated freezing and thawing, minimally tolerant to elevated temperature and desiccation, and capable of growth in liquid or on solid media containing pectin or galacturonic acid. The scientific literature on ballistoconidium-forming yeasts indicates that they are a polyphyletic group. Isolates of Sporobolomyces from two geographically separated sites show almost identical phenotypic and physiological characteristics and a monophyly with a broad group of differently named Sporobolomyces/Sporidiobolus species based on both small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and D1/D2 domains of the LSU rRNA gene sequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543.
authors.forename: Alec
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cobban
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543. vedgcomb@whoi.edu.
authors.forename: Virginia P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Edgcomb
authors.affiliation: Université de Brest, EA 3882, Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Ecologie Microbienne, ESIAB, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, Plouzané, 29280, France.
authors.forename: Gaëtan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burgaud
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Repeta
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543.
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Leadbetter
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003890:Desiccation; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / Q000235:genetics*; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D014197:Trees / Q000382:microbiology*; D014707:Vermont; D014861:Washington
chemical_list: D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S
keywords: 
  rRNA
  ; Ballistospore; D1/D2; Sporobolomyces; phylogeny; physiology