Culturable Diversity of Lichen-Associated Yeasts through Enrichment Strategies

Lichens are symbiotic partnerships between a filamentous fungus and photosymbiotic “alga”. Studies show that lichens harbor endothallic fungi, but some taxa have been difficult to isolate from the main thallus-forming other faster growing lichenicolous/endothallic fungi. Therefore, we aimed develop evaluate liquid yeast-enrichment strategies (1) lichen-associated yeasts in pure culture, (2) determine taxonomic placement breadth of diversity culturable yeasts. Eighty-two lichen samples were collected washed with distilled water, healthy thalli ground up added seven different broths. Yeast colonies isolated culture identified using molecular techniques. Initial isolates BLASTn analysis, refinement was completed PhyML analysis. In total, 215 obtained. The most prevalently ascomycetous within Dothideomycetes (Aureobasidium, Plowrightia, Dothiora), while frequently basidiomycetous belonged genera Curvibasidium, Sporobolomyces, Tremella. generic placements could not be determined for 17 isolates, total 25 novel species recovered. results this research indicate diverse, employing enrichment is effective isolating many these, (3) represent valuable untapped reservoir diverse yeast species.