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Title: METSCHNIKOWIA FRUCTICOLA, A NEW ASCOSPORIC YEAST EFFECTIVE FOR BIOCONTROL OF POSTHARVEST FRUIT ROT

Author
item Kurtzman, Cletus
item DROBY, SAMIR - THE VOLCANI CTR, ISRAEL

Submitted to: Systematic and Applied Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/22/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Microorganisms are increasingly being used to replace chemical fungicides for the control of rots that develop during storage of fruits, vegetables and other agricultural commodities. The microorganisms must be safe for human consumption as well as effective for prevention of rots. One strategy has been to enhance the microbial population that naturally occurs on fruits and vegetables. In this work, a yeast was isolated from grapes and found effective for control of storage rots of fruit. The next problem was to identify the yeast. This was done by comparing the sequence of a species-specific gene from the unknown with an NCAUR developed database of sequences of the same gene from all currently known yeasts. This comparison showed that the biocontrol yeast is new to science, and it has been formally described in this publication. This work will allow identification of the new yeast whenever it is isolated in the future and will help predict which yeasts are effective for biocontrol of fruit storage rots.

Technical Abstract: A new ascosporic yeast, Metschnikowia fructicola (type strain NRRL Y- 27328, CBS 8853), is described and was isolated from grapes grown in central Israel. The new species has been demonstrated to be effective for biocontrol of fungal rots of stored fruits. Phylogenetic analysis of domain D1/D2 26S rDNA sequences showed M. fructicola to be a sister species of M. pulcherrima.