Vanderwaltozyma verrucispora sp. nov., a new ascomycetous yeast species.

A new yeast species, Vanderwaltozyma verrucispora, is proposed in this study based on two strains isolated from partially decayed leaves in Japan and one strain from soil in Taiwan. The species is characterized by the fermentation of glucose and galactose, formation of one to four spheroidal to ellipsoidal ascospores with warty surfaces in each ascus, and assimilation of a few carbon and nitrogen compounds. Genus assignment and distinction of the species from the other two recognized species of Vanderwaltozyma is based on the morphological and physiological characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene. From these comparisons, the name V. verrucispora sp. nov. is proposed. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the LSU rRNA gene reveals that the phylogenetically closest relative of V. verrucispora is Vanderwaltozyma yarrowii. The type strain of the new species, which was isolated from a partially decayed leaf in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, is NBRC 1884(T) (=CBS 10887(T)=BCRC 23141(T)).