Pichia cactophila, a New Species of Yeast Found in Decaying Tissue of Cacti

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Abstract
A novel representative of the yeast genus Pichia was recovered 190 times during the period 1971-1976. This organism apparently belongs to a new species. P. cactophila. Strains were found in the necrotic tissue of 16 spp. of cactus [Machaerocereus gummosus, Lophocereus schottii, Pachycereus pringlei, Lemaireocereus thurbergi, L. stellatus, L. pruinosus, L. treleasei, L. dumortieri, Myrtillocactus sp., Opuntia sp., O. megacantha, Rathbunia alamosensis, P. pecten-aboriginum, Carnegiea gigantea, Ferocactus wislizeni and Backebergia militaris] and in the crops of 3 spp. of Drosophila [D. mojavensis, D. nigrospiracula and D. sp.] which utilize the cacti as host plants. Isolates were obtained from widely separate geographic localities (throughout Mexico, southwestern USA and Hawaii [USA]). The new species forms predominantly 2-spored asci. Both homothallic and heterothallic strains were observed. The metabolic capability of P. cactophila, like that of P. membranaefaciens, is limited to oxidative utilization of only a few compounds. P. cactophila can be differentiated from P. membranaefaciens by its strong growth on D-glucosamine and by the lower guanine-plus-cytosine content (36.3-37.5 mol%) of its nuclear DNA.

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