Trichosporon wieringae sp.nov., an anamorphic basidiomycetous yeast from soil, and assimilation of some phenolic compounds, polysaccharides and other non-conventional carbon sources by saprophytic Trichosporon species.

A morphological and physiological description of an anamorphic basidiomycetous yeast species isolated from soil, named Trichosporon wieringae, is presented. The phylogenetic position within the genus, based on nuclear base sequencing of the D1/D2 region of the large subunit of rDNA and of the ITS region reveals close relationship to the Porosum clade of the genus Trichosporon Behrend, T. gamsii being the closest relative. The ability of non-pathogenic Trichosporon species to assimilate uric acid, ethylamine, l-4-hydroxyproline, some aromatic compounds and polysaccharides as sole sources of carbon and energy was studied. An identification key to these species, based on growth tests on these non-conventional carbon sources, is proposed. The type strain of T. wieringae is CBS 8903 (JCM 12201).