Spathaspora allomyrinae sp. nov., a d-xylose-fermenting yeast species isolated from a scarabeid beetle Allomyrina dichotoma

Abstract

During an investigation of yeasts associated with insects, three strains of a D-xylose-fermenting yeast species were isolated from the gut of the host beetles Allomyrina dichotoma (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae) collected on the Baotianman National Nature Reserve, Nanyan, Henan Province, China. These strains formed two elongated ascospores, which were tapered and curved at the ends in persistent asci. Sequence analyses of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) and small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes showed that these new strains represent a phylogenetically distinct species in the Spathaspora clade. This novel species differed from the closest species, Candida lyxosophila NRRL Y-17539 T , by a 6.7 % sequence divergence (31 substitutions and 7 gaps) in the D1/D2 LSU rRNA gene and a 1.2 % divergence (17 substitutions, 4 gaps) in the SSU rRNA gene. The novel species can also be distinguished from C. lyxosophila NRRL Y-17539 T in terms of the ability to assimilate myo-inositol and to grow in the presence of 0.1 % cycloheximide, as well as the inability to assimilate citrate. The name Spathaspora allomyrinae sp. nov. is proposed for this species. The type strain is NYNU 1495 T (5CICC 33057 T 5CBS 13924 T ). The MycoBank number is MB 815071.

The yeasts of the genus Spathaspora: potential candidates for second‐generation biofuel production

“…This species was described from three isolates, but no information on its potential to ferment d ‐xylose was given by the authors. The species forms two ascospores, in contrast to the single‐spored asci of other species of the genus, and its phylogenetic position within the Spathaspora clade is unclear (Wang et al ., ).…”

“…Wang et al . () described the species Sp. allomyrinae isolated from the gut of Allomyrina dichotoma beetles in China.…”

Figure 6 from: Lv S-L, Chai C-Y, Wang Y, Yan Z-L, Hui F-L (2020) Five new additions to the genus Spathaspora (Saccharomycetales, Debaryomycetaceae) from southwest China. MycoKeys 75: 31-49. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.75.57192

“…These were from rotting wood (Cadete et al 2009(Cadete et al , 2013Lopes et al 2016;Morais et al 2017;Varize et al 2018) and Sp. allomyrinae from insects (Wang et al 2016). Spathaspora has been shown to be a polyphyletic group, containing members placed throughout the larger Spathaspora/Candida albicans/Lodderomyces clade of Debaryomycetaceae (Morais et al 2017;Varize et al 2018).…”

“…Spathaspora species are associated with rotting-wood substrates and the insects that occupy this ecological niche (Cadete et al 2009(Cadete et al , 2013Nguyen et al 2011;Lopes et al 2016;Wang et al 2016;Morais et al 2017;Varize et al 2018). They can be found in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions on different continents, but most species are presently known from Brazilian regions (Cadete et al 2009(Cadete et al , 2013Lopes et al 2016;Morais et al 2017;Varize et al 2018).…”

Production of bioethanol in sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate byScheffersomyces parashehatae,Scheffersomyces illinoinensisandSpathaspora arborariaeisolated from Brazilian ecosystems

“…Despite extensive research, the majority of the studies concerning D-xylose conversion have been performed with only a few yeast species. This trend has recently changed via the dissemination of studies describing the isolation and description of new D-xylose-fermenting yeasts from particular habitats, such as wood-boring insects (Suh et al 2003(Suh et al , 2013Nguyen et al 2006;Urbina and Blackwell 2012;Urbina et al 2013a,b;Liu et al 2016;Wang et al 2016) and rotting wood (Cadete et al , 2012Morais et al 2013;Ren et al 2014;Lopes et al 2016;Sena et al 2017). Among the habitats explored in these studies, the Brazilian ecosystems stand out for their varied and important contribution, primarily for isolating new species belonging to the main D-xylose-fermenting clades Spathaspora and Scheffersomyces.…”