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DNA relatedness among saturn-spored yeasts assigned to the genera Williopsis and Pichia
1National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, Illinois 61604.
Abstract:
Saturn-spored species assigned to the genera Williopsis and Pichia were compared from extent of nuclear DNA complementarity. Of the Pichia spp., four were recognized as distinct taxa: P. dispora, P. saitoi, P. zaruensis and Pichia sp. nov. Among Williopsis spp., the following were accepted: W. californica, W. mucosa comb. nov., W. pratensis, W. saturnus var. saturnus, W. saturnus var. mrakii comb. nov., W. saturnus var. sargentensis comb. nov., W. saturnus var. subsufficiens comb. nov. and Williopsis sp. nov. The new Pichia and Williopsis species are described elsewhere. Moderate (36-68%) DNA relatedness was detected between the former Pichia sargentensis and varieties of W. saturnus again demonstrating that nitrate assimilation is not a reliable criterion for separating yeast species.