Abstract
Ten strains of the Cryptococcus humicola complex were reclassified on the basis of sequence analyses of 18S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer regions and DNA--DNA reassociation experiments. They were differentiated into seven species including C. humicola. Five novel species are proposed: Cryptococcus daszewskae sp. nov. (type strain CBS 5123(T)=JCM 11166(T)=MUCL 30649(T)), Cryptococcus fragicola sp. nov. (type strain JCM 1530T(T)=CBS 8898(T)), Cryptococcus longus sp. nov. (type strain CBS 5920(T)=JCM 11167(T)=MUCL 30690(T)), Cryptococcus musci sp. nov. (type strain JCM 1531(T)=CBS 8899(T)) and Cryptococcus pseudolongus sp. nov. (type strain JCM 9712(T)=CBS 8297(T)). A syntype of Sporobolomyces albidus JCM 1460(T) is also revealed to be a distinct species; the name Cryptococcus ramirezgomezianus nom. nov. is therefore proposed for Sporobolomyces albidus Ramirez Gomez (type strain IJFM 502(T)=CBS 2839(T)=JCM 1460(T)=NRRL Y-2478(T)), since the name Cryptococcus albidus (Saito) C. E. Skinner has already been recognized for a distinct species within the genus Cryptococcus. Strains possessing either Q-9 or Q-10 have been reported to occur in C. humicola; however, after reclassification, the ubiquinone type of the species in each phylogenetic group was shown to be uniform, indicating that it is a useful criterion for the taxonomy of the Trichosporonales.