Moving Yeasts: Resolving the Mystery

Abstract

We have recently discovered a novel dimorphic yeast Aureobasidium tremulum sp.nov. The species name tremulum indicates its trembling movement. With keen microscopic observations and various experimentation, we concluded that the movement is of two types, trembling movement, and actual displacement. The movement is because of two reasons; 1. Due to the dynamic movement of intracellular lipid granules, and; 2. Due to the movement of an intracellular bacterial population which is present as an endosymbiont. The mechanism of displacement has been hypothesized. The presence of both lipid granules and bacteria has been confirmed using microscopic analysis (Bright field, Phase contrast, confocal, Cryo-SEM, and HR-TEM). The bacterial presence was confirmed using whole-genome metagenomic analysis. Endosymbiotic bacteria have also been isolated and identified by 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Interestingly, some of them possibly are novel species. Also, the whole genome of A.tremulum has been announced. We also report on, restriction of the mode of bacterial mycophagy in presence of an antibiotic.