Jantaporn Thongekkaew, Areeya Khumsap and Phuchong Chatsa-nga

pp. 157 - 163

Abstract

A total of 61 yeast strains were obtained from 132 samples collected from various sources such as soil, mushroom,
flowers, fruits, tree barks and insect frass in the mixed deciduous forest areas of Phujong Nayoy National Park, Thailand.
Based on D1/D2 region at the 5′ end of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (rRNA gene region D1/D2) analysis, 39 strains
were identified as ascomycetous yeasts and distributed to 7 genera i.e. Blastobotrys, Candida, Debaryomyces, Dipodascus,
Kodamaea, Pichia and Torulaspora. Twenty strains were identified as basidiomycetous yeasts which belonged to the genera
Asterotremella, Cryptococcus, Sporidiobolus and Trichosporon. Another two strains of yeast-like fungi were belonged to
genus Aureobasidium. The predominant genus was Candida with a 31.14% contribution. For testing of xylanase and carboxymethyl cellulase production of the 61 strains of yeasts and yeast-like fungi, Candida glabrata and Aureobasidium
pullulans showed xylanase activity of 0.91 and 0.52 UmL^-1, respectively, and carboxymethyl cellulase activity of 0.38 and
0.44 UmL^-1, respectively.

Keywords

• yeast diversity
• identification
• rRNA gene region D1/D2
• xylanase
• carboxymethyl cellulase