Multigene Phylogenetic Analysis of Pathogenic Candida Species in the Kazachstania ( Arxiozyma ) telluris Complex and Description of Their Ascosporic States as Kazachstania bovina sp. nov., K. heterogenica sp. nov., K. pintolopesii sp. nov., and K. slooffiae sp. nov

Abstract

ABSTRACT A yeast causing widespread infection of laboratory mice was identified from 26S rRNA gene sequences as Candida pintolopesii . To determine the relationship of C. pintolopesii with other members of the Kazachstania ( Arxiozyma ) telluris species complex, nucleotide sequences from domains 1 and 2 of the 26S rRNA gene, the mitochondrial small-subunit rRNA gene, and the RNA polymerase II gene were phylogenetically analyzed. That analysis resolved the 48 strains examined into five closely related species: K. telluris , Candida bovina , C. pintolopesii , Candida slooffiae , and a previously unknown species. One or more strains of each of the last four species formed an ascosporic state much like that of K. telluris . To place these ascosporogenous strains taxonomically, it is proposed that they be assigned to the teleomorphic genus Kazachstania as K. bovina (type strain NRRL Y-7283, CBS 9732, from the nasal passage of a pigeon), K. heterogenica (type strain NRRL Y-27499, CBS 2675, from rodent feces), K. pintolopesii (type strain NRRL Y-27500, CBS 2985, from the peritoneal fluid of a dead guinea pig), and K. slooffiae (type strain NRRL YB-4349, CBS 9733, from the cecum of a horse). On the basis of multigene sequence analyses, K. heterogenica appears to be a hybrid of K. pintolopesii and a presently unknown species. With the exception of K. bovina , the phylogenetically defined species show a moderate degree of host specificity.