An ustilaginomycetous yeast, Pseudozyma graminicola sp. nov., isolated from the leaves of pasture plants

Two strains belonging to a novel anamorphic species, Pseudozyma graminicola, were isolated from the leaves of herbaceous plants in the Moscow region (Russia). This species was genetically distinct from all known Pseudozyma species, based on sequence divergence in the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rDNA and the ITS region. It is related phylogenetically to species of the genus Sporisorium (Ustilaginaceae, Ustilaginales). Physiological characteristics distinguishing this novel species from the other species of the genus Pseudozyma are presented.