Kazachstania jinghongensis sp. nov. and Kazachstania menglunensis f.a., sp. nov., two yeast species isolated from rotting wood.

Five yeast strains were isolated from rotting wood samples collected in the Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest, Yunnan Province, PR China. Phylogenetic analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene indicated that these strains represent two novel species of the genus Kazachstania. Kazachstania jinghongensis sp. nov. produces one to two spherical ascospores per ascus, and is most closely related to Kazachstania lodderae and Kazachstania spencerorum. Kazachstania jinghongensis sp. nov. differed from the type strains of the two latter species by 13-24 substitutions in the D1/D2 domains and by 39-56 substitutions in the ITS regions. Kazachstania menglunensis f.a., sp. nov. is a member of the Kazachstania jiainica subclade, but the formation of ascospores was not observed on various sporulation media. Kazachstania menglunensis sp. nov. differed from other members of the subclade by 23-26 substitutions in the D1/D2 domains and by more than 67 substitutions in the ITS regions. The holotype of Kazachstania jinghongensis sp. nov. is NYNU 17944 (CBS 15232) and the holotype of Kazachstania menglunensis sp. nov. is NYNU 18913 (CBS 16054).