Candida bracarensis sp. nov., a novel anamorphic yeast species phenotypically similar to Candida glabrata.

Two yeast strains, 153MT and NCYC 3133, isolated from clinical sources in separate hospitals were found to be almost identical in the sequences of the D1/D2 domain of large-subunit rDNA, the PCR fingerprinting profiles and physiological characteristics. The isolates are phenotypically similar, although not identical, to Candida glabrata and Kluyveromyces delphensis (recently renamed Nakaseomyces delphensis). Sequence analysis of the 26S rDNA D1/D2 gene variable region revealed that the two clinical isolates were closely related phylogenetically to C. glabrata and K. delphensis, but differed sufficiently to justify their assignment as representatives of a separate species. The name Candida bracarensis sp. nov. is proposed for the novel species with the type strain 153MT (= CBS 10154T = NCYC D3853T = CECT 12000T).