Abstract
Antigenic analyses of five species of the genus Debaryomyces, including D. hansenii var. membranaefaciens and Schwanniomyces occidentalis, were carried out by the slide agglutination method, using monospecific antisera and absorbed antisera. The antigenic structures of every species examined were confirmed by the reciprocal absorption and the comparative study was made against many stock cultures and isolates.
Debaryomyces hansenii possesses the thermostable antigens 1, 2, 3, 4 and 14 and the group specific antigen 9 of C. guilliermondii, but no thermolabile antigen was found. The antigenic structures of D. kloeckeri, D. nicotianae and D. hansenii var. membranaefaciens are identical in every respect to that of D. hansenii.
Schwanniomyces occidentalis contains the same antigens present in D. hansenii in respect to thermostable antigens, but it has the thermolabile antigen j. It can be placed in Group V on the basis of having the group specific antigen 9.Debaryomyces globosus has the thermostable antigens 1, 3, 10, 24 and 29 and thermolabile antigen i. It can be placed in Group VII of S. rosei on the basis of having the group specific antigen 24, but it should be regarded as an independent species because of the distinct serologial differences from that species.
In the comparative study, the antigenic structures of many strains from each recognized species coincided with those of the standard strains when analyzed. onsequently, they will serve as the reliable basis in the classification of the species.
