Cryptococcus bromeliarum sp. nov., an orange-coloured basidiomycetous yeast isolated from bromeliads in Brazil

During a survey of yeasts associated with the phylloplane of several bromeliad species in Itapuã Park in southern Brazil, we isolated four orange-coloured strains which were found to represent a novel anamorphic tremellaceous (Tremellales, Agaricomycotina, Basidiomycota) yeast species, Cryptococcus bromeliarum sp. nov. (type strain BI20(T) =CBS 10424(T) =NRRL Y-48112(T)). PCR-fingerprinting profiles of the four strains with primers M13 and (GTG)(5) were almost identical, which suggested conspecificity among the isolates. On the basis of D1/D2 26S rDNA sequence analysis, C. bromeliarum is phylogenetically closely related to other orange-coloured Cryptococcus species, namely Cryptococcus armeniacus, C. amylolyticus, C. tibetensis and C. cistialbidi, but differed from these species by at least six nucleotide substitutions and was thus considered a separate species. Physiological differences from C. armeniacus, C. amylolyticus and C. cistialbidi included the inability of C. bromeliarum to assimilate citrate and to form starch-like compounds. Differentiation from C. tibetensis can be achieved by the ability of the latter to assimilate ethylamine.