Characterization of Wild Yeasts Isolated from Leaves Obtained from Mt. Daedun and Mt. Chilgap, Korea

Abstract

Several yeast strains were isolated from leaves collected from Mt. Daedun and Mt. Chilgap in Korea. A total of 79 strains of 32 species were isolated from 44 leaves obtained from Mt. Daedun. Cryptococcus spp., including Cryptococcus magnus, were found to be dominant, while 16 strains of Aureobasidium pullulans were isolated. Among the strains isolated from Mt. Daedun, Asterotremella humicola JSL502, Barnettozyma californica JSL503, Bullera unica JSL501, Bulleromyces albus JSL505, and Candida vaccinii JSL507 are considered rare yeast species in Korea. All of these rare strains, except for Bulleromyces albus JSL505, formed ascospores. Bullera unica JSL501 was able to grow in yeast extract-peptone-dextrose (YPD) medium containing 10% NaCl. Twenty-five yeast strains of 18 species were isolated from 43 leaves obtained from Mt. Chilgap. Six strains of Pseudozyma spp., including three strains of Pseudozyma aphidis, were isolated in the dormant state. Of these strains, the occurrence of Rhodotorula phylloplana JSL515, Rhodotorula pinicola JSL516, Schwanniomyces vanrijiae JSL517, and Sporisorium loudetiae JSL518 is rare in Korea. Only Sporisorium loudetiae JSL518 formed ascospores, while Rhodotorula pinicola JSL516 and Sporisorium loudetiae JSL518 formed pseudomycelia. The halophilic yeast Schwanniomyces vanrijiae JSL517 was isolated and observed to grow in YPD medium containing 5% NaCl.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Biological Resources, funded by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea.

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