Sporobolomyces koalae sp. nov., a basidiomycetous yeast isolated from nasal smears of Queensland koalas kept in a Japanese zoological park.

Three strains (JCM 15063(T), JCM 15098 and JCM 15099) of a novel basidiomycetous yeast species belonging to the genus Sporobolomyces were isolated from nasal smears of Queensland koalas kept in a Japanese zoological park. Analyses of sequences of the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer region and the 26S rDNA D1/D2 domain and morphological studies indicated that these strains represent a novel species with a close phylogenetic relationship to Sporobolomyces carnicolor and Sporobolomyces japonicus in the Sporidiobolus lineage, for which the name Sporobolomyces koalae sp. nov. is proposed (type strain JCM 15063(T) =CBS 10914(T) =DSM 19992(T)).