Molecular phylogenetics of the genus Rhodotorula and related basidiomycetous yeasts inferred from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene.

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships of basidiomycetous yeasts, especially of the genus Rhodotorula, were studied using partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The results demonstrated that the basidiomycetous yeasts under investigation distributed into two main clusters: one containing Tremellales, Filobasidiales and their anamorphs and the other containing Ustilaginales, Sporidiales and their anamorphs. This clustering in turn correlates with cell wall biochemistry, presence or absence of xylose, and septal ultrastructure, dolipore or simple pore. Bullera, Bulleromyces, Filobasidiella, Cryptococcus and Trichosporon, yeasts of the former cluster, contain xylose in the cell wall and have dolipore septa. In contrast yeasts of the latter cluster, which included Bensingtonia, Erythrobasidium, Leucosporidium, Malassezia, Rhodosporidium, Rhodotorula, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces and Ustilago, have no xylose in the cell wall and have a simple pore septum. Yeasts of the latter group could be further divided into four clades (A-D). Species of Rhodotorula were distributed in all of these clades, indicating the polyphyletic nature of the genus. A limited number of Rhodotorula species demonstrated identical sequences, for example Rhodotorula bacarum and Rhodotorula foliorum, Rhodotorula fujisanensis and Rhodotorula futronensis, Rhodotorula glutinis var. dairenensis and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. However, all the other test species of the genus Rhodotorula were well separated based on their 396 bp nucleotide sequences. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the use of cytochrome b sequences for both species identification and the study of phylogenetic relationships among basidiomycetous yeasts.

Molecular Analysis of Cryptococcus neoformans Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Gene Sequences

“…2), which is the same position as intron 2 of Neurospora crassa cyt b gene. Rhodotorula acheniorum and Rhodotorula ferulica, two other basidiomycetous yeasts, have introns in the same location (2). Some isolates of C. neoformans var.…”

“…cyt b is useful for typing isolates of Candida albicans and differentiating such isolates from Candida stellatoidea (1). We have also shown that the cyt b phylogeny of basidiomycetous yeasts correlates with cell wall biochemistry and septal ultrastructure (2). However, similar techniques have not been used to characterize C. neoformans.…”

Evaluation of lipid biosynthesis ability by Rhodotorula and Sporobolomyces strains in medium with glycerol

“…The species belonging to the yeast genus Rhodotorula belong to the family Sporidiobolaceae, order Sporidiales, class Urediniomycetes, division Basidiomycota in the kingdom of Fungi [24]. The genus includes about 50 species [6]. They are mostly mesophilic organisms, with optimal growth temperature of 20-40 °C; however, some of them also develop well under cooling conditions.…”

Molecular Phylogenetics of the Genus Trichosporon Inferred from Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Gene Sequences

“…43,2005 CYTOCHROME b PHYLOGENETICS OF THE GENUS TRICHOSPORON 5175 netic trees based on the amino acid sequences of cytochrome b in fungi. Analyses of the cyt b gene of Rhodotorula and related basidiomycetous yeasts had similar outcomes (5). The negligible differences between phylogenetic trees constructed from nucleotide and amino acid sequences using any of the methods are due to the fact that different nucleotide codons may give rise to the same amino acid, which may produce differences in topologies of the nucleotide-and amino acidbased phylogenetic trees.…”

“…We have previously shown that the cyt b gene phylogeny of basidiomycetous yeasts correlates with the cell wall biochemistry and septal ultrastructure (5). However, only two species of Trichosporon, T. aquatile and T. mucoides, were included in that study.…”