Cryptococcus agriensis sp. nov., a basidiomycetous yeast isolated from River Agrio– Lake Caviahue (Argentina), an acidic aquatic environment of volcanic origin.

RUSSO, G; LIBKIND, DIEGO; ULLOA, R; DE GARCÍA V,; SAMPAIO, JP; VAN BROOCK, M.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY.

SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY

Año: 2010 vol. 60 p. 996 - 1000

1466-5026

Seventy-one strains, representing a novel species of the genus Cryptococcus, were isolated from the River Agrio–Lake Caviahue (RAC) acidic aquatic environment. Strains were isolated mainly from the most acid section of the river (pH 1.8 to 2.7). According to mini/microsatellite-primed PCR (MSP-PCR) technique, and physiological data, these strains are a single species of the genus Cryptococcus. Analysis of the D1/D2 region of the large-subunit rRNA gene showed that the strains belong to the order Filobasidiales of the sub-phylum Agaricomycotina. Cryptococcus agrionensis formed a phylogenetic group with its closest related species: Cryptococcus ibericus, Cryptococcus aciditolerans and Cryptococcus metallitolerans. This group, which is phylogenetically related to the Gastricus clade, has been recently considered an ecoclade due to its peculiar ecology and physiology. The name Cryptococcus agrionensis is proposed to accommodate these strains. The strain CRUB 1317T=CBS 10799T=JCM 15321T was designated the type strain.