Ogataea chonburiensis sp. nov. and Ogataea nakhonphanomensis sp. nov., thermotolerant, methylotrophic yeast species isolated in Thailand, and transfer of Pichia siamensis and Pichia thermomethanolica to the genus Ogataea.

Two thermotolerant, methylotrophic yeast strains, PT44(T) and S051(T), were respectively isolated from a tree exudate and soil collected in Thailand. They were categorized as thermotolerant strains on the basis of their good growth below 20 degrees C and up to a relatively high temperature (37 degrees C). The major characteristics of the two strains that place them in the genus Ogataea are the formation of four helmet- or hat-shaped ascospores in a deliquescent ascus that may be produced parthenogenetically or by conjugation between a cell and its bud or between independent cells; multilateral budding; assimilation of nitrate; the presence of ubiquinone Q7; negative for Diazonium blue B colour and urease reactions; and the absence of arthroconidia and ballistoconidia. Analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large-subunit rDNA sequence revealed that strain PT44(T) was differentiated from the strain S051(T) by 25 nucleotide substitutions and 1 gap in 554 nt, which was sufficient to justify the description of two separate species. The closest recognized species in terms of pairwise sequences similarity to PT44(T) was Pichia (Ogataea) dorogensis, with 13 nucleotide substitutions and 1 gap in 554 nt. Strain S051(T) was closest to Pichia thermomethanolica, with 7 nucleotide substitutions in 566 nt. Phenotypic characteristics of strains PT44(T) and S051(T) allowed them to be differentiated from each other and from the closest related species. On the basis of the above finding, the two strains represent two novel species of the genus Ogataea, for which the names Ogataea chonburiensis sp. nov. (type strain PT44(T) =BCC 21227(T) =NBRC 101965(T) =CBS 10363(T)) and Ogataea nakhonphanomensis sp. nov. (type strain S051(T) =BCC 21228(T) =NBRC 101966(T) =CBS 10362(T)) are proposed. We also propose the transfer of two thermotolerant methylotrophic members of the genus Pichia described previously to the genus Ogataea: Pichia siamensis is renamed Ogataea siamensis (Limtong, Srisuk, Yongmanitchai, Kawasaki, Yurimoto, Nakase & Kato) Limtong, Srisuk, Yongmanitchai, Yurimoto & Nakase comb. nov. (type strain JCM 12264(T) =TISTR 5818(T)) and Pichia thermomethanolica is renamed Ogataea thermomethanolica (Limtong, Srisuk, Yongmanitchai, Yurimoto, Nakase & Kato) Limtong, Srisuk, Yongmanitchai, Yurimoto & Nakase comb. nov. (type strain CBS 10098(T) =JCM 12984(T) =BCC 16875(T)).