Isolation of a Wickerhamomyces anomalus yeast strain from the sandfly Phlebotomus perniciosus,displaying the killer phenotype |
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| Authors: | E MARTIN G BONGIORNO L GIOVATI M MONTAGNA E CROTTI C DAMIANI L GRADONI L POLONELLI I RICCI G FAVIA S EPIS |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy;2. Unit of Vector‐Borne Diseases and International Health, MIPI Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy;3. Microbiology and Virology Unit, Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological and Translational Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy;4. Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy;5. Department of Food, Environmental and Evolutionary Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy;6. School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy |
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| Abstract: | The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus has been studied for its wide biotechnological potential, mainly for applications in the food industry. Different strains of W. anomalus have been isolated from diverse habitats and recently from insects, including mosquitoes of medical importance. This paper reports the isolation and phylogenetic characterization of W. anomalus from laboratory‐reared adults and larvae of Phlebotomus perniciosus (Diptera: Psychodidae), a main phlebotomine vector of human and canine leishmaniasis. Of 65 yeast strains isolated from P. perniciosus, 15 strains were identified as W. anomalus; one of these was tested for the killer phenotype and demonstrated inhibitory activity against four yeast sensitive strains, as reported for mosquito‐isolated strains. The association between P. perniciosus and W. anomalus deserves further investigation in order to explore the possibility that this yeast may exert inhibitory/killing activity against Leishmania spp. |
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| Keywords: | Leishmania biocontrol phlebotomine sandflies yeast community |
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