Pichia teotihuacanensis C. Y. Chai & F. L. Hui sp. nov.

Fig. 2 D, E, F

Etymology.

The specific epithet teotihuacan of or belonging to the State of Mexico, the geographical origin of the type strain of the isolated species.

Type.

Mexico • State of Mexico, Teotihuacan, in the traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage Pulque sample, autumn of 2015, F. L. Hui, NYNU 161119 (holotype CICC 33275 T preserved in a metabolically inactive state, culture ex-type CBS 15277).

Description.

After 3 days culture in YM broth at 25 ° C, the cells are ovoid (2.5–7.0 × 3.7–9.5 µm) and occurred singly or in pairs. Budding is multilateral (Fig. 2 D). After 6 days cultured on YM agar at 25 ° C, colonies are cream colored, butyrous and rough, with filamentous margins. After 2 weeks in Dalmau plate culture on corn meal agar at 25 ° C, pseudohyphae formed but true hyphae did not (Fig. 2 E, F). Ascospores are not observed on YM, 5 % malt extract, cornmeal, and YCBAS agar media in pure and mixed cultures at 17 ° C and 25 ° C for up to 4 weeks. Sugar fermentation is absent. Glucose, D-glucosamine, inulin (weakly), soluble starch (weakly), glycerol (weakly), DL-lactate (weakly), succinate (weakly), citrate (weakly), and methanol (weakly) are assimilated. No growth occurred using as sole carbon of melibiose, sucrose, raffinose, L-arabinitol, 5 - keto-D-gluconate, D-gluconate, galactose, lactose, L-sorbose, L-rhamnose, L-arabinose, D-arabinose, D-ribose, ethanol, erythritol, galactitol, myo - inositol, xylitol, D-glucuronate, D-glucono- 1, 5 - lactone, trehalose, maltose, melezitose, methyl α - D-glucoside, cellobiose, salicin, D-xylose, ribitol, mannitol, glucitol, 2 - keto-D-gluconate, or arbutin. With respect to the assimilation of nitrogen compounds, L-lysine, glucosamine (weakly), and D-tryptophan were assimilated, whereas nitrate, nitrite, ethylamine, creatine, adaverine, creatinine, and imidazole were not. Growth is observed at 37 ° C but not at 40 ° C. Growth in the presence of vitamin-free medium, 10 % NaCl plus 5 % glucose, and 1 % acetic acid are positive, while growth in the presence of 0.1 % cycloheximide or 0.01 % cycloheximide is negative. Starch-like compounds are not produced. Urease activity and diazonium blue B reactions are also negative.

Additional strains examined.

Mexico • Teotihuacan in the State of Mexico (19°41'N, 98°50'W) and Mexico City in the State of Distrito Federal (19°28'N, 99°09'W), in the traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage Pulque samples, autumn of 2015, F. L. Hui, NYNU 161117, NYNU 161142 and NYNU 161153.

GenBank accession numbers.

Holotype CICC 33275 T (ITS: MF 136068, D 1 / D 2: MF 136064); additional strains NYNU 161117 (ITS: OM 670016, D 1 / D 2: OM 670012), NYNU 161142 (ITS: OM 670015, D 1 / D 2: OM 670013) and NYNU 161153 (ITS: OM 670079, D 1 / D 2: OM 670014).

Note.

Pichia teotihuacanensis sp. nov. can be physiologically differentiated from P. ethanolica in terms of positive assimilation of inulin, D-glucosamine, soluble starch, citrate, methanol, and glucosamine, and an inability to assimilate ethanol, ethylamine, and cadaverine. P. teotihuacanensis differed from P. deserticola, in terms of their ability to assimilate D-glucosamine, inulin, and soluble starch, and grow in vitamin-free medium (Table 2).