The value of the D1/D2 and internal transcribed spacers (ITS) domains for the identification of yeast species belonging to the genus Yamadazyma

In a taxonomic study of yeasts that have been isolated in French Guiana and Thailand, five yeast strains isolated from plants were found to belong to the Yamadazyma clade of Saccharomycotina. On the basis of morphology, physiology and the nucleotide divergence in the D1/D2 domain of the 26S nuclear ribosomal RNA (nrRNA) gene, as well as the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) domain of the nrRNA gene operon, these strains were identified to represent three novel species in this teleomorphic clade. An additional isolate, that is publicly available from the CBS yeast collection and isolated from Taiwan, was found to be similar to one of the novel species described from Thailand. Yeast species belonging to the Yamadazyma clade have previously been described as members of the Candida membranifaciens clade. These species are widely distributed and were isolated from diverse habitats, including water, plants, animals and guts of insects and termites. In the present study the ITS region is shown to be a valuable region for species identification within this clade, and the novel species proposed are Candida vaughaniae (ex-type strain CBS 8583), Candida khao-thaluensis (ex-type strain CBS 8535) and Candida tallmaniae (ex-type strain CBS 8575).