A new approach to the study of yeast ecology of natural substrates

Abstract

The yeast flora associated with the surface of various natural materials have been studied on the assumption that individual cells and microcolonies are strongly retained by gummy and mucous secretions. Preisolation treatments based on vigorous shaking, percolation with an excess of water, and the sonication of samples allowed the recovery of a much higher number of species than did traditional isolation procedures. Results confirmed that a sequence of aggressive and disruptive actions on samples, together with an enrichment culture, is necessary to obtain an exhaustive picture of the actual yeast flora.