FURTHER TAXONOMIC STUDY OF METHANOL- ASSIMILATING YEASTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCES TO ELECTROPHORETIC COMPARISON OF ENZYMES

Abstract

An electrophoretic comparison was made of 13 enzymes in 53 strains of methanol-assimilating yeasts. Nine strains of Candida boidinii were divided into two closely related interspecific clusters. The methanol-assimilating Hansenula yeasts showed electrophoretic patterns of enzymes very similar to one another, suggesting a close interrelationship. Pichia lindnerii and Candida methanolovescens showed similar physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, but they differed in the electrophoretic patterns of their enzymes. Pichia methanolica and three strains of Pichia cellobiosa showed the same electrophoretic patterns and chemotaxonomic characteristics. Eleven strains of Hansenula capsulata and its supposed anamorph Candida molischiana showed different electrophoretic patterns of enzymes and DNA base composition. They were divided into 5 clusters on the basis of these characteristics. The facts suggest the heterogeneity of these species. It would not be appropriate to regard C. molischiana simply as an anamorph of H. capsulata. The electrophoretic patterns of the enzymes exhibited a good correlation with the groups of methanol-assimilating yeasts, based on the DNA base composition, the coenzyme Q systems, and the proton magnetic resonance spectra of cell-wall mannans.