LEUCOSPORIDIUM GEN N, HETEROBASIDIOMYCETOUS STAGE OF SEVERAL YEASTS OF GENUS CANDIDA

Investigation of yeasts from Antarctic regions revealed that certain species of Candida have heterobasidiomycetous life cycles. Two distinct but overlapping groups of species were found: heterothallic and self-sporulating species. Candida scottii is a heterothallic species with the following life cycle: opposite mating types will conjugate and develop a dikaryotic mycelium with clamp connections. Karyogamy occurs in the teliospore which germinates and produces a promycelium. Meiosis takes place in the promycelium, followed by development of haploid sporidia to complete the life cycle. In addition, C. scottii has a self-sporulating phase. From a single cell, in the apparent absence of mating, a uninucleate mycelium is produced that lacks clamp connections. Teliospores, promycelia and sporidia develop that appear similar to those produced from dikaryotic mycelium. The self-sporulating species have life histories similar to the self-sporulating phase of C. scottii; except that heterothallism has not been observed. Based on these life histories the new genus Leucosporidium is proposed with two heterothallic species (Leu. scottii and Leu. capsuligenum) and five self-sporulating species (Leu. antarcticum, Leu. frigidum, Leu. gelidum, Leu. nivalis and Leu. stokesii. Leu. antarcticum) and Leu. stokesii have not been described under the genus Candida. © 1969 Swets & Zeitlinger.