Phylogeny among the basidiomycetous yeasts inferred from small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence.

The sequence of the small subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) was determined for seven selected species of the teliospore-forming yeasts and Filobasidiaceae in the basidiomycetous yeasts. A phylogenetic tree, including published reference sequences, was inferred from 1623 sites which could be unambiguously aligned. The molecular phylogeny, using a chytridiomycete as an outgroup, divided the eight basidiomycetous yeasts into two groups which correlated well with both septal ultrastructure (simple pore or dolipore) and cellular xylose (present or absent). The first group included the teliospore-forming yeasts Rhodosporidium toruloides and Leucosporidium scottii, and Erythrobasidium hasegawianum, which is currently a member of the Filobasidiaceae. The second group was formed by the filobasidiaceous yeasts, comprising a Cystofilobasidium capitatum/Leucosporidium lari-marini/Mrakia frigida branch, and a Filobasidium floriforme/Filobasidiella neoformans branch. Our molecular data support the principal chemotaxonomic and ultrastructural evidence, which indicates a very close affinity between C. capitatum and L. lari-marini.