Kazachstania aquatica sp. nov. and Kazachstania solicola sp. nov., novel ascomycetous yeast species

The unidentified strains AS 2.0706T, preserved in the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center (CGMCC), Academia Sinica, Beijing, China, and CBS 6904T, preserved in the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS), Utrecht, The Netherlands, were shown to represent two novel ascomycetous yeast species of the genus Kazachstania by 18S rDNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (including 5·8S rDNA) and 26S rDNA D1/D2 domain sequence analysis and electrophoretic karyotype comparison. The names Kazachstania aquatica sp. nov. and Kazachstania solicola sp. nov. are proposed for strains AS 2.0706T and CBS 6904T, respectively. Phylogenetically, the two novel species are closely related to Kazachstania aerobia, Kazachstania servazzii and Kazachstania unispora.

Genetic Variability among Blastoschizomyces Capitatus Isolates from Different Clinical Sources

Sixteen clinical isolates and nine ATCC reference strains of Blastoschizomyces capitatus were analysed genetically, examined for the cellobiose, arbutin and salicin assimilation and tested for the aspartyl-proteinase secretion. The restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) with HpaII and HinfI enzymes and the electrophoretic karyotype (EK) were investigated. Both the restriction enzymes revealed two groups (I, II) constituted by the same isolates: 17 isolates (68%) in group I and 8 (32%) in group II. The EK analysis revealed sixteen groups. These data prompts for a genetic variability of the isolates of Blastoschizomyces capitatus and their account in two distinct genetic groups as suggested by REA. This grouping was confirmed by examing the utilisation of cellobiose, arbutin and salicin. The tests for secretory aspartyl proteinase (Sap) were positive only for three isolates, suggesting a marginal role of this specific enzyme in pathogenesis for these isolates.