Saturnispora kantuleensis f.a., sp nov., a novel yeast species isolated from peat in a tropical peat swamp forest in Thailand

Two strains (DMKU-PPS4-5(T) and DMKU-EPS3-4) representing a single novel anamorphic yeast species were isolated from two peat samples collected in Kan Tulee peat swamp forest, Surat Thani Province, Thailand. The strains differed by two nucleotide substitutions in the sequences of the D1/ D2 region of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and only one nucleotide substitution in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the D1/ D2 regions showed that the two strains represented a single species in the genus Saturnispora and were clearly distinct from other related species. Saturnispora sekii was the most closely related species, but with 1.7-2.1% nucleotide substitutions in the D1/ D2 region of the LSU rRNA gene, and 3.1- 3.3% nucleotide substitutions in the ITS region. They therefore represent a novel species of the genus Saturnispora, although the formation of ascospores was not observed. The name Saturnispora kantuleensis f. a., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DMKU-PPS4-5 (T) (= CBS 15217 (T) = TBRC 7762(T)).