Molecular Systematics and Taxonomy of Yeasts Current research in my laboratory focuses on characterizing the phylogenetic diversity of ascomycetous yeasts and developing molecular tools for rapid strain identification and prediction of agriculturally and biotechnologically significant properties of those species. Yeasts are nearly ubiquitous in nature and are essential for the production of num...

As larvae, lacewings in the genus Chrysoperla (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Chrysopinae: Chrysopini) are predators of aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Adult Chrysoperla, however, are not predacious and feed on pollen, nectar, and honeydew. Earlier studies observed that Chrysoperla adults house yeasts in their crops, and based on the results of a sorbic acid yeast suppression experiment, conclu...

A total of 34 species belonging to 21 genera of fungi were recorded on passion fruits of both pure and hybrid origin in Uganda, however, the pure type exhibited wider spectrum (28 species and 16 genera) than the hybrid type (21 & 15). Also, yeasts (unidentified and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa) were also encountered in high numbers. Moreover, the mean count of all mycobiota obtained from the pure t...

Nippon Eiyo Shokuryo Gakkaishi (J. Jpn. Soc.Nutr. Food Sci.) 47, 55~59 (1994) Lactic acid bacteria (3 strains of cocci and 10 strains of bacilli) and lactose-fermenting yeasts (18 strains) were isolated from a 24 h cultured of kefir milk. The lactococci and yeasts were identified as Streptococcus lactis and Kluyveromyees marxianus var. marxianus, respectively. The lactobacilli were of the heter...

Electron-microscope observations indicate that the single nuclear division of sporulating yeasts which form 2-spored asci resembles, in several aspects, the nuclear behaviour during sporulation of the more common 4-spored yeasts. Specifically the parental nucleolus remains behind in the ascus cytoplasm, a characteristic nucleolus-associatcd spherical structure is formed, and the nucleus divides...

Nicotine adenine dinucleotide-linked primary alcohol dehydrogenase and a newly discovered secondary alcohol dehydrogenase coexist in most strains of methanol-grown yeasts. Alcohol dehydrogenases from methanol-grown yeasts oxidize (--)-2-butanol preferentially over its (+) enantiomorph. This is substantially different from alcohol dehydrogenases from bakers' yeast and horse liver.

The modified API 20C system (Analytab Products, Inc.) containing 19 carbohydrate assimilation tests was used to identify stock cultures of clinical isolates and routine clinical isolates from the Mayo Clinic mycology laboratory. The system provided correct identifications for 96% of the 505 organisms tested. The API 20C represents a commercial system useful for the identification of yeasts from...

The isolation of vaginal yeasts was compared on a selective medium, phosphomolybdic acid agar, and on starch agar, a nonselective differential medium used primarily to isolate Corynebacterium vaginale. The majority of the Candida albicans strains were isolated on starch agar, but the selective medium was required for isolating all yeasts from the greatest number specimens.

Many pathogenic yeast species are asexual and therefore not involved in intra- or interspecies mating. However, high-frequency transfer of plasmid DNA was observed when pathogenic and food-borne yeasts were grown together. This property could play a crucial role in the spread of virulence and drug resistance factors among yeasts.