Udeniomyces kanasensis sp. nov., a ballistoconidium-forming yeast species in the Cystofilobasidiales.

In a survey of ballistoconidium-forming yeast diversity in the phyllosphere, five strains from wilting plant leaves collected from Kanas Nature Reserve in Xinjiang province, China were selected based on morphological comparison. These strains formed pinkish-white colonies and large bilaterally symmetrical ballistoconidia. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the 26S rRNA D1/D2 domain and ITS region sequences showed that these strains belonged to the Udeniomyces clade in the Cystofilobasidiales. They differ from the described Udeniomyces species significantly in the rRNA sequences as well as physiological criteria. Therefore, a new species Udeniomyces kanasensis sp. nov. (type strain XJ 6E2(T)=CGMCC 2.02627 (T)=CBS 12488 (T)) is proposed to accommodate these strains. The MycoBank number of the new species is MB 563659.