Kazachstania siamensis sp. nov., an ascomycetous yeast species from forest soil in Thailand.

Two strains (S-34T and S-35) of a novel ascomycetous yeast species belonging to the genus Kazachstania were isolated from soil from a mixed deciduous forest in Amphoe Wang Nam Khiao, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. The D1/D2 domains of the large-subunit rDNA sequences of the two strains were identical and also indicated a close relationship with respect to Kazachstania aquatica, Kazachstania unispora, Kazachstania aerobia, Kazachstania servazzii and Kazachstania solicola. The most closely related species, K. aquatica, has 14 nucleotide substitutions and three gaps in 566 nt. The phenotypic characteristics of the two strains were typical of those of members of the genus Kazachstania. These characteristics include the formation of a single globose ascospore in an unconjugated and persistent ascus, multilateral budding, the absence of arthrospores and ballistospores, the fermentation of glucose, the inability to assimilate nitrate, negative diazonium blue B and urease reactions, and the presence of ubiquinone Q-6. The novel strains can be distinguished from K. aquatica on the basis of a number of phenotypic characteristics and represent a novel species in the genus Kazachstania, for which the name Kazachstania siamensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S-34T (=CBS 10361T=NBRC 101968T=BCC 21230T).