Yeasts isolated from a fungus-growing ant nest, including the description of Trichosporon chiarellii sp nov., an anamorphic basidiomycetous yeast

Abstract

Thirty-nine yeast strains were recovered from a field nest of a primitive and putative novel attine ant species in the genus Myrmicocrypta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: tribe Attini). Yeasts isolated from the fungus garden and waste deposit included Candida dubliniensis, Candida oleophila, Cryptococcus haglerorum and Hanseniaspora uvarum. In addition, one morphological type was isolated overwhelmingly. Sequencing data of partial large-subunit (LSU) rDNA and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region coupled with morphological and physiological characterization accommodated this morphotype in a separate taxonomic position in relation to the known species of Trichosporon (Basidiomycota: Trichosporonales). Here, we propose a novel yeast species named Trichosporon chiarellii sp. nov. based on the description of 34 isolates; the type strain is strain FOP 540806(T) (=CBS 11177(T)).