Blastobotrys nigripullensis, a new yeast species isolated from a fungal outbreak on an ancient Roman shipwreck in the Netherlands.

A new species of the yeast genus Blastobotrys was discovered on ancient ship timbers in the Netherlands. The species had developed on the wood of a river barge dating to the Roman period. The growth occurred after the preservative polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000) was washed out of some of the timbers due to an undetected leak in the storage unit. Mycological analysis of various timber samples revealed the presence of Microascus melanosporus (predominant), Microascus paisii, a member of the Acremonium chrysogenum-clade, and a new Blastrobotrys species. The new species produced sporothrix-like conidiophores with clavate blastoconidia (3-7 × 1-3.5 µm) and was found to be osmotolerant, capable of growth on low water activity media like malt yeast 50% glucose agar (MY50G). In this article we formally describe and introduce Blastrobotrys nigripullensis (CBS 17879 T) based on its morphology, physiology and phylogenetic placement.

Four new species of Trichomonascaceae (Saccharomycetales, Saccharomycetes) from Central China.

Trichomonascaceae is the largest family of ascomycetous yeast in the order Saccharomycetales. In spite of the extensive body of research on Trichomonascaceae in China, there remain new species to be discovered. Here, we describe four new species isolated from several rotting wood samples from Henan Province, Central China. Phylogenetic analysis of a combined ITS and nrLSU dataset with morphological studies revealed four new species in the Trichomonascaceae: Diddensiellaluoyangensis, Sugiyamaellacylindrica, Su.robnettiae, and Zygoascusdetingensis. Clustering in the Diddensiella clade, D.luoyangensis' closest neighbour was D.transvaalensis. Meanwhile, Su.cylindrica clustered in the Sugiyamaella clade closest to Su.marilandica and Su.qingdaonensis. Also clustering in the Sugiyamaella clade, Su.robnettiae was most closely related to Su.chuxiongensis. Finally, Z.detingensis occupied a distinct and separated basal branch from the other species of the genus Zygoascus. These results indicate a high species diversity of Trichomonascaceae.

Diversity of the genus Sugiyamaella and description of two new species from rotting wood in China.

Species of the genus Sugiyamaella (Trichomonascaceae, Saccharomycetales), found in rotting wood in China, were investigated using morphology and the molecular phylogeny of a combined ITS and nrLSU dataset. Nine taxa were collected in China: two were new species (viz. Sugiyamaella chuxiong sp. nov. and S. yunanensis sp. nov.) and seven were known species, S. americana, S. ayubii, S. novakii, S. paludigena, S. valenteae, S. valdiviana and S. xiaguanensis. The two new species are illustrated and their morphology and phylogenetic relationships with other Sugiyamaella species are discussed. Our results indicate a potentially great diversity of Sugiyamaella spp. inhabiting rotting wood in China just waiting to be discovered.