The Arctic and Antarctic regions are characterized by low temperatures, high solar irradiation, and successive freezing and thawing cycles. To date, 57 yeast species belonging to 24 genera have been identified as novel taxa initially isolated from Arctic and Antarctic environments. This study comprehensively explored yeast diversity in diverse habitats, including soil, freshwater, seawater, lichens, mosses, vascular plants, dung, feathers, algae, and mushrooms, in the Ny-Ålesund (Arctic) and Fildes regions (Antarctica). Over the past decade, a total of 406 samples were collected, resulting in the isolation of 2215 yeast strains. Molecular analysis revealed 2150 yeast strains across 80 known species in 36 genera. Remarkably, 65 yeast strains – 33 from Antarctica and 32 from the Arctic – were classified as novel taxa. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses, we described 18 new basidiomycetous yeast species across two classes: Tremellomycetes within Agaricomycotina and Microbotryomycetes within Pucciniomycotina . Furthermore, we proposed the establishment of one new family, Pricozymaceae , and five new genera, including Pricozyma , Xiangyanghongia , Chioneozyma , Skadia , and Xuelongia . In summary, this study revealed a rich diversity of yeast species in the Arctic and Antarctica, identifying 98 species across 40 genera, 22 families, 12 orders, four classes, and two phyla, many of which were previously unknown. Novel species described include: Chioneozyma fusiformis , Chioneozyma ovata , Dioszegia frigidiaquatica , Dioszegia dongchenii , Fellozyma antarctica , Genolevuria ovata , Glaciozyma ellipsoidea , Glaciozyma elongata , Phaeotremella nansenii , Phaeotremella polaris , Pseudotremella lichenophila , Piskurozyma viscida, Pricozyma crymophila , Skadia corniformis , Skadia rubropurpurea , Xiangyanghongia terricola , Xuelongia filamentosa , and Yunzhangia cylindrica .
Feng et al. (Wed,) studied this question.