Hanseniaspora menglaensis f.a., sp. nov., a novel apiculate yeast species isolated from rotting wood

Abstract

Two apiculate strains (NYNU 181072 and NYNU 181083) of a bipolar budding yeast species were isolated from rotting wood samples collected in Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest in Yunnan Province, southwest PR China. On the basis of phenotypic characteristics and the results of phylogenetic analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the actin (ACT1) gene, the two strains were found to represent a single novel species of the genus Hanseniaspora, for which the name Hanseniaspora menglaensis f.a., sp. nov. (holotype CICC 33364T; MycoBank MB 847437) is proposed. In the phylogenetic tree, H. menglaensis sp. nov. showed a close relationship with Hanseniaspora lindneri, Hanseniaspora mollemarum, Hanseniaspora smithiae and Hanseniaspora valbyensis. H. menglaensis sp. nov. differed from H. lindneri, the most closely related known species, by 1.2 % substitutions in the D1/D2 domain, 2.5 % substitutions in the ITS region and 5.4 % substitutions in the ACT1 gene, respectively. Physiologically, H. menglaensis sp. nov. can also be distinguished from H. lindneri by its ability to assimilate d-gluconate.

Genome Analysis of a Newly Discovered Yeast Species, Hanseniaspora menglaensis

“…For example, the genome of H. vinae TO2/19AF was assembled twice (from the same data), and in one iteration, the MAT a locus was assembled, and in the second, the MAT α locus was assembled ( Figure 3 ). In addition, although Chen et al [ 13 ] did not observe ascospores in the Chinese isolate of H. menglaensis , ascospores are formed by the Irish isolates ( Figure 4 ). The species is likely to be homothallic as asci with warty ascospores were observed routinely after 7 days for each of the studied strains, CBS 16921, CBS 18246 and CBS 18247, when grown as separate cultures on sporulation medium.…”

“…An isolate of the new species Hanseniaspora menglaensis was recently identified from rotting wood in Southwest China [ 13 ]. We identified three isolates from soil in Ireland: CBS 16921, CBS 18246 and CBS 18247.…”

“…Glucose, cellobiose, arbutin, salicin and glucono D-lactone are assimilated ( Table 1 ). Unlike H. menglaensis CICC 33364/NYNU 181083, galactose and inulin are assimilated by the three Irish isolates, albeit weakly, with delayed assimilation for inulin ( Table 1 ) [ 13 ]. We did not observe growth of the Irish isolates on D-gluconate, which has been reported for H. menglaenisis CICC 33364/NYNU 181083 ( Table 1 ) [ 13 ].…”

“…Currently, 24 species of Hanseniaspora are known, consisting of 18 species within the FEL and 6 within the SEL [ 13 ]. Three yeast strains, CBS 16921 (UCD88), CBS 18246 (UCD443), and CBS 18247 (UCD483), were collected from soil samples as part of undergraduate projects at University College Dublin, Ireland, from 2017 to 2020 [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…Strains were isolated from Ballawley Park, Co. Dublin (53.2799, −6.23317) (CBS 16921) and wooded roadsides in Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary (52.692835, −8.146708) (CBS 18247) and Aughnagarnon, Co. Longford (53.788433, −7.423251) (CBS 18246). Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analysis suggests they represent new isolates of the recently described species Hanseniaspora menglaensis [ 13 ] ( Table A1 ). Because there is currently no genome sequence of H. menglaensis available, we sequenced the genomes of the three Irish isolates in order to contribute to our understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of the Hanseniaspora genus.…”