Three strains belonging to the basidiomycetous yeast genus Vishniacozyma were isolated from marine water samples collected from intertidal zones in Liaoning province, northeast China. Phylogenetic analyses based on the sequences of the small subunit (SSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA), the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA), the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the two subunits of DNA polymerase II (RPB1 and RPB2), the translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1), and the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b (CYTB) showed that these strains together with 20 strains from various geographic and ecological origins from other regions of the world represent a novel species in the genus Vishniacozyma. We propose the name Vishniacozyma pseudocarnescens sp. nov. (holotype CGMCC 2.6457) for the new species, which differs phenotypically from its close relatives V. carnescens, V. tephrensis, and V. victoriae by its ability to grow at 30 °C and on 50 % (w/v) glucose-yeast extract agar.
Keywords: Basidiomycetous yeast; Vishniacozyma; Vishniacozyma pseudocarnescens; phylogeny; taxonomy.