Blastobotrys xijiuensis sp. nov., a new ascomycetous yeast species from the Daqu-making environment in Guizhou Province, China.

Six yeast strains were isolated from residual powder on brooms used in the production of high-temperature Daqu collected in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses based on the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene indicated that these strains represent a novel species of the genus Blastobotrys. The strains differ from their closest relatives, Blastobotrys bombycis and Blastobotrys aristatus, by 5.0 and 5.4% mismatches in the D1/D2 domains, respectively, and by 10.8 and 8.0% mismatches in the ITS region, respectively. Physiologically, the new species is distinguished from the two closest relatives by its ability to assimilate ethanol and inability to ferment trehalose. Therefore, we propose the name Blastobotrys xijiuensis sp. nov. (holotype: strain CGMCC 2.9300) for the new species.