Isolation, characterization, and genome assembly of Barnettozyma botsteinii sp. nov. and novel strains of Kurtzmaniella quercitrusa isolated from the intestinal tract of the termite Macrotermes bellicosus

Researchers have identified two novel strains of the yeast Kurtzmaniella quercitrusa and a new species, Barnettozyma botsteinii, from the gut of termites (Macrotermes bellicosus) in Côte d'Ivoire's Comoé National Park. These yeasts exhibit significant potential for industrial bioconversion due to their ability to efficiently metabolize pentose sugars like d-xylose, a byproduct of hemicellulose processing. Notably, K. quercitrusa strains grow 15% faster than the common yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae under acidic conditions and can utilize xylose as a sole carbon source. One strain, K. quercitrusa var. filamentosus, uniquely transitions to filamentous growth at neutral pH, depending on the carbon source, suggesting its adaptability for diverse industrial applications.

Arrey, G., Li, G., Murphy, R., Guimaraes, L., Alizadeh, S., Poulsen, M., & Regenberg, B. (2021). Isolation, characterization, and genome assembly of Barnettozyma botsteinii sp. nov. and novel strains of Kurtzmaniella quercitrusa isolated from the intestinal tract of the termite Macrotermes bellicosus. G3, 11(12). https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkab342