Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (Phaffia rhodozyma) on stromata of Cyttaria hariotii in northwestern Patagonian Nothofagus forests

LIBKIND, D.; TOGNETTI CELIA; RUFFINI, A.; SAMPAIO, J.P.; VAN BROOCK, M.

REVISTA ARGENTINA DE MICROBIOLOGíA

ASOCIACION ARGENTINA MICROBIOLOGIA

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2011 vol. 31 p. 226 - 232

0325-7541

We studied the occurrence and distribution of Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous associated with Cyttaria hariotii parasiting three Nothofagus species (N. dombeyi, N. antarctica and N. pumilio) in northwestern Patagonia (Argentina), and different factors which may affect this distribution. Sampling was carried out between 2000 and 2007, at 18 different locations. Based on physiological tests and morphological characteristics of sexual structures, 72 isolates were identified as X. dendrorhous. Representative strains were studied by MSP-PCR fingerprinting and sequence analysis of the ITS region. MSP-PCR fingerprints were similar for the newly isolated strains, and were also identical to profiles of the strains previously found in this region. Patagonian strains appear to be a genetically uniform and distinct population, supporting the hypothesis that the association with different host species has determined genetically distinct X. dendrorhous populations. X. dendrorhous was evenly distributed throughout the sampling area, and was recovered from N. dombeyi and N. antarctica. Approximately half the sampling sites and samples were positive for X. dendrorhous, but isolation recovery rate was low. X. dendrorhous was absent in early stages of ascostroma maturation, becoming more abundant in later stages.