Molecular identification of basidiomycetous yeasts from soils in Iran

In the present study basidiomycetous yeast species were characterised from soil samples in different regions of Iran. Soil samples were collected from 5–15 cm depth, subsequently yeasts were isolated and purified. Yeast isolates were identified using D1/D2 domains of 26S rRNA and physiologic tests. The results of this study revealed a rich diversity amongst basidiomycetous yeast species in the sampled areas.  In this paper we report and characterise 25 species belonging to six genera viz., Trichosporon pullulans, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, R. minuta, R. lysiniphila, R. laryngis, Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae, R. babjevae, Holtermanniella takashimae, Fibulobasidium inconspicuum, Crytococcus ramirezgomezianus, Cryptococcus watticus, C. victoriae, C. uzbekistanensis, C. terreus, C. saitoi, C. podzolicus, C. oeirensis, C. friedmannii, C. flavescens, C. diffluens, C. bhutanensis, C. albidus, C. albidosimilis, C. aerius, C. adeliensis. All of these species represent  new records for the mycobiota of Iran. Members of the genus Cryptococcus were the most donimnat basidiomycetous yeast and Cryptococcus aerius was commonly isolated from all soil samples as the dominat species.