Abstract
Two strains (SU11S03 and SD6S03) of a proposed new species of the genus Debaryomyces were isolated from soil in Renai, Nantou and Dasi, Touyuan, Taiwan. Their identical physiology, morphology and the sequence of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene indicated the two strains were conspecific. The yeast species produced a single warty, spheroidal ascospore per ascus, followed by conjugation between a cell and its bud. Phylogenetic analysis using the D1/D2 domain of the LSU rRNA gene demonstrated that the close relatives of the novel species were the species of the Debaryomyces hansenii cluster (10-12 nucleotide difference) and Debaryomyces mycophilus (18 nucleotide difference). The species differed from the other Debaryomyces species by carbon and nitrogen assimilation patterns and growth on vitamin-free medium. The physiological, morphological, and molecular data described above suggest that these strains belong to a new species, and the name Debaryomyces renaii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the new species is SU11S03 (=CBS 10891 =BCRC 23137), which was isolated from soil in Renai, Nantou, Taiwan.