Sporobolomyces inositophilus,a new species of ballistosporous yeast isolated from a dead leaf of Sasa sp. in Japan

A new species of ballistosporous yeast, Sporobolomyces inositophilus was isolated from a dead leaf of Sasa sp. collected at a mountain in Japan. This yeast is assumed to have a close relationship to Sporobolomyces singularis since it produces bilaterally symmetrical ballistospores and pale-coloured colonies and resembles Sporobolomyces singularis in these respects. These two species differ from typical species of Sporobolomyces and seem to constitute a natural taxonomic group.     

Four new yeast species of the genus Sporobolomyces from plant leaves

Among the ballistoconidium-forming yeast strains isolated from various plant leaves collected in North and Northeast China, 12 strains forming orange to orange-red colored colonies were revealed to represent four novel species of the genus Sporobolomyces by conventional, chemotaxonomic and molecular phylogenetic studies, based on the 26S-rDNA D1/D2 domain and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequences. Sporobolomyces beijingensis sp. nov., represented by eight strains (type strain CB 80T = AS 2.2365T = CBS 9730T), and Sporobolomyces jilinensis sp. nov., represented by two strains (type strain CB 118T = AS 2.2301T = CBS 9728T), clustered in the Johnsonii clade of the Sporidiobolus lineage. Sporobolomyces clavatus sp. nov., represented by strain CB 281T (= AS 2.2318T = CBS 9729T), belonged to the Agaricostilbum lineage and showed a close relationship to Sporobolomyces ruber and Sporobolomyces dracophylli. Sporobolomyces symmetricus sp. nov., represented by strain CB 64T(= AS 2.2299T = CBS 9727T), formed nearly symmetrical ballistoconidia and was closely related with Sporobolomyces vermiculatus and Sporobolomyces gracilis in the Gracilis clade of the Erythrobasidium lineage.     

Sporobolomyces yuccicola,a new species of ballistosporous yeast equipped with ubiquinone-9

A hitherto undescribed ballistosporous yeast was isolated from a dead leaf of Yucca sp. in Canada. This yeast produces apiculate or short-ellipsoidal ballistospores, produces pale colored colonies, has Q-9 as the major ubiquinone, and does not contain xylose in the cells. This new yeast is described as Sporobolomyces yuccicola Nakase et Suzuki. Sporobolomyces yuccicola is the sixth species of the intermedius group, a group of atypical species of the genus Sporobolomyces equipped with Q-9.     

X-ray structures of NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase from Sporobolomyces salmonicolor provide insights into stereoselective reductions of carbonyl compounds

The X-ray structures of red yeast Sporobolomyces salmonicolor carbonyl reductase (SSCR) and its complex with a coenzyme, NADPH, have been determined at a resolution of 1.8A and 1.6A, respectively. SSCR was crystallized in an orthorhombic system with the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and cell dimensions of a=54.86 A, b=83.49 A, and c=148.72 A. On its cocrystallization with NADPH, isomorphous crystals of the SSCR/NADPH complex were obtained. The structure of SSCR was solved by a single wavelength anomalous diffraction measurement using a selenomethionine-substituted enzyme, and that of the SSCR/NADPH complex was solved by a molecular replacement method using the solved structure of SSCR. The structures of SSCR and the SSCR/NADPH complex were refined to an R-factor of 0.193 (R(free)=0.233) and 0.211 (R(free)=0.238), respectively. SSCR has two domains, an NADPH-binding domain and a substrate-binding domain, and belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases family. The structure of the NADPH-binding domain and the interaction between the enzyme and NADPH are very similar to those found in other structure-solved enzymes belonging to the short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases family, while the structure of the substrate-binding domain is unique. SSCR has stereoselectivity in its catalytic reaction, giving rise to excessive production of (S)-alcohols from ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate. The X-ray structure of the SSCR/NADPH complex and preliminary modeling show that the formation of the hydrophobic channel induced by the binding of NADPH is closely related to the stereoselective reduction by SSCR.     

Staurastrum dilatatum var.thomassonii var. nov.

The new varietyStaurastrum dilatatum Ehr. var.thomassonii is described and illustrated.     

First environmental isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans and var. gatti from the Gharbia Governorate,Egypt

Flowers from two Eucalyptus camaldulensis trees in the Qutur area and one tree from the Tanta area yielded three isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii. Pigeon and sparrow droppings were also investigated for the occurrence of C. neoformans within the study area. Ninety five isolates of the neoformans variety of C. neoformans were recovered from 550 samples of avian droppings. This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Aegilops cylindrica var.kastorianum (Poaceae): A new variety from Greece

A native population ofAegilops cylindrica was encountered for the first time in Greece in 1980 (near Kastoria, NW. Greece), completely isolated and at a great distance from its main distribution area. There are morphological and chromosomal, but no protein and esterase pattern differences from otherAe. cylindrica populations. This justifies the recognition of a new variety: var.kastorianum. Our comparative and karyotypic observations support the view thatAe. caudata var.polyathera and not var.caudata (typica) is the possible donor of genome C of the new variety.     

Behaviour of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus during its autolysis

The lactic yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus var.marxianus (formerly K. fragilis) autolyzates at faster rate than Saccharomyces cerevisiae. During K. marxianus autolysis, quite similar release kinetics were observed for intracellular space markers (potassium ions, nucleotides), cell-wall components (polysaccharides, N-acetyl-D-Glucosamine) and non specific products (amino nitrogen). By Scanning Electronic Microscopy examination, no cell burst was observed, but a variation in cell shape (from ellipsoidal to cylindrical), as well as a 43% decrease in the internal volume were observed. The mechanism proposed for S. cerevisiae autolysis appeared also likely for K. marxianus.Abbreviations NacGlc N-acetyl-D-glucosamine - x total biomass (dry cellular weight) concentration     

The yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus and its biotechnological potential

Strains belonging to the yeast species Kluyveromyces marxianus have been isolated from a great variety of habitats, which results in a high metabolic diversity and a substantial degree of intraspecific polymorphism. As a consequence, several different biotechnological applications have been investigated with this yeast: production of enzymes (beta-galactosidase, beta-glucosidase, inulinase, and polygalacturonases, among others), of single-cell protein, of aroma compounds, and of ethanol (including high-temperature and simultaneous saccharification-fermentation processes); reduction of lactose content in food products; production of bioingredients from cheese-whey; bioremediation; as an anticholesterolemic agent; and as a host for heterologous protein production. Compared to its congener and model organism, Kluyveromyces lactis, the accumulated knowledge on K. marxianus is much smaller and spread over a number of different strains. Although there is no publicly available genome sequence for this species, 20% of the CBS 712 strain genome was randomly sequenced (Llorente et al. in FEBS Lett 487:71-75, 2000). In spite of these facts, K. marxianus can envisage a great biotechnological future because of some of its qualities, such as a broad substrate spectrum, thermotolerance, high growth rates, and less tendency to ferment when exposed to sugar excess, when compared to K. lactis. To increase our knowledge on the biology of this species and to enable the potential applications to be converted into industrial practice, a more systematic approach, including the careful choice of (a) reference strain(s) by the scientific community, would certainly be of great value.     

大盘山蔷薇——浙江产蔷薇属一新变种

描述和图解了浙江蔷薇属的一新变种——大盘山蔷薇,与原变种小果蔷薇的区别在于托叶革质,宿存,具1脉,边缘有腺毛状齿,叶轴密被短柔毛,小叶柄被短柔毛。     

Molecular typing of wine yeast strains Saccharomyces bayanus var. uvarum using microsatellite markers

The Saccharomyces bayanus var. uvarum yeasts are associated with spontaneous fermentation of must. Some strains were shown to be enological yeasts of interest in different winemaking processes. The molecular typing of S. bayanus var. uvarum at the strain level has become significant for wine microbiologists. Four microsatellite loci were defined from the exploration of genomic DNA sequence of S. bayanus var. uvarum. The 40 strains studied were homozygote for the locus considered. The discriminating capacity of the microsatellite method was found to be equal to that of karyotypes analysis. Links between 37 indigenous strains with the same geographic origin could be established through the analysis of microsatellite patterns. The analysis of microsatellite polymorphism is a reliable method for wine S. bayanus var. uvarum strains and their hybrids with Saccharomyces cerevisiae identification in taxonomic, ecological studies and winemaking applications.     

Thermotolerant single cell protein production byKluyveromyces marxianus var.marxianus

Summary Amino acid analyses were undertaken on single cell protein (SCP) produced by thermotolerant strains ofKluyveromyces marxianus var.marxianus grown on sugar cane molasses at 40°C. The maximum conversion of available sugars to biomass at 45°C was only 10.8% (g dry wt.·g^–1 total sugars). The amino acid composition of the SCP did not differ markedly from that reported for other yeast species.     

Comparative study of leaf carbon gain in saplings ofThujopsis dolabrata var.hondai andQuercus mongolica var.grosseserrata in a cool-temperate deciduous forest

Seasonal courses of leaf CO₂ gas exchange in a growing season were examined in saplings ofThujopsis dolabrata var.hondai andQuercus mongolica var.grosseserrata in a cool temperate deciduous forest. Between the two tree species there were no large differences in the light compensation point of leaf photosynthesis, except for the season of new leaf expansion. However, light-saturated rates of net photosynthesis were obviously high inT. dolabrata var.hondai. EvergreenT. dolabrata var.hondai saplings had large photosynthetic production in two seasons, before the emergence of new foliage and after foliage fall of the overstory deciduous trees, because of the significantly high solar radiant energy penetrating under the forest canopy during the seasons. Saplings of deciduousQ. mongolica var.grosseserrata were heavily shaded throughout the growing season by foliage of the overstory trees, which resulted in a low daily surplus production. The annual surplus production of leaves in the growing season was estimated to be 2300 mmol CO₂ m⁻² inT. dolabrata var.hondai and −100 mmol CO₂ m⁻², slightly negative, inQ. mongolica var.grosseserrata. These results supported the high survivability ofT. dolabrata var.hondai saplings and the high mortality ofQ. mongolica var.grosseserrata in the deciduous forest.     

Genetic and molecular study of the inability of the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis var. drosophilarum to ferment lactose

The fermentation of lactose (Lac⁺) in the dairy yeast Kluyveromyces lactis var. lactis is controlled by the LAC4 (β-galactosidase) and LAC12 (lactose permease) genes. The complementation analysis of twelve Kl. lactis var. drosophilarum natural homothallic Lac^? strains of different origin was carried out using the genetic heterothallic lines of Kl. lactis var. lactis of the lac4LAC12 and LAC4lac12 genotypes. It was shown that the natural Lac^? strains did not possess the LAC4LAC12 gene cluster. Southern hybridization of chromosomal DNA with LAC4 and LAC12 probes, as well as recombination analysis, showed that Kl. lactis var. drosophilarum yeasts do not have even silent copies of these genes. As distinct from this yeast, natural Lac^? strains of the yeast Kl. marxianus are mutants impaired in the lactose permease gene (lac12 analogue), but possess an active β-galactosidase gene (LAC4 analogue). The origin of the LAC4LAC12 gene cluster of the dairy yeasts Kl. lactis is discussed.     

武夷山樱属一新变种——武夷红樱

Cerasus campanulata var.wuyiensis, a new variety of Cerasus campanulata (Rosaceae) in Wuyi Montain is described and illustrated. The new variety is related to C.campanulata, but differs in the young branches, petioles and pedicels spreading hairs, both pedicels and peduncles longer, and the sepals reverse-coiled conspicuously