Cryolevonia gen. nov. and Cryolevonia schafbergensis sp. nov., a cryophilic yeast from ancient permafrost and melted sea ice

Abstract

A cryophilic basidiomycetous yeast unable to grow at 18 °C or higher temperatures was isolated from a subsurface permafrost layer collected in the Eastern Swiss Alps and from melted sea ice collected in the Artic at Frobisher Bay, Nunavut, Canada. Phylogenetic analyses employing combined sequences of the D1/D2 domain and ITS region indicated that the two new isolates belong to the family <i>Camptobasidiaceae</i> of the class <i>Microbotryomycetes</i> but are distantly related to any of the currently recognized species and genera. Consequently, the novel genus <i>Cryolevonia</i>, and the novel species <i>Cryolevonia schafbergensis</i> (type strain PYCC 8347^T=CBS 16055^T) are proposed to accommodate this cryophilic yeast. Although sparse hyphae and teliospore-like stuctures were observed upon prolonged incubation, a sexual cycle was not observed and therefore <i>C. schafbergensis</i> is documented solely from its asexual stage.