Wickerhamomyces edaphicus sp. nov. and Pichia jaroonii sp. nov., two ascomycetous yeast species isolated from forest soil in Thailand.

Four yeast strains were isolated from soil in a mixed deciduous forest in Amphoe Wang Nam Khiao, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand. On the basis of morphological, biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, and the sequence analyses of the D1/D2 domain of the large-subunit (LSU) rRNA gene, small-subunit rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the three strains (S-29, S-63 and S-80) were found to represent a single species of the genus Wickerhamomyces, which were named Wickerhamomyces edaphicus sp. nov. The type strain is S-29(T) (BCC 21231(T)=NBRC 101969(T)=CBS 10408(T)). Strain S-75 represented a novel species of the genus Pichia on the basis of morphological, biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, and the sequence analyses of the D1/D2 domain of the LSU rRNA gene, for which the name Pichia jaroonii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S-75(T) (BCC 23061(T), NRBC 102180(T)=CBS 10930(T)).