<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Microbes have evolved ways of interference competition to gain advantage over their ecological competitors. The use of secreted antagonistic compounds by yeast cells is one of the prominent examples. Although this killer behavior has been thoroughly studied in laboratory yeast strains, our knowledge of the antagonistic specificity of killer effects in nature remains limited. In this study, yeast strains were collected from various niches and screened for antagonistic activity against one toxin-sensitive strain of <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic> and three pathogenic fungi. We demonstrate that some strains with antagonistic activity against these pathogenic fungi can be found in antagonist culture tests. These yeasts were identified as members of <italic>Trichosporon asahii</italic>, <italic>Candida stellimalicola</italic>, <italic>Wickerhamomyces anomalus</italic>, <italic>Ustilago esculenta</italic>, <italic>Aureobasidium pullulans</italic>, and <italic>Pichia kluyveri</italic>. The results indicated that the antagonistic activity of these killer yeasts has a narrow optimal pH range. Furthermore, we found that the antagonistic activity of some species is strain-dependent.</p>
</abstract>

Microbes have evolved ways of interference competition to gain advantage over their ecological competitors. The use of secreted antagonistic compounds by yeast cells is one of the prominent examples. Although this killer behavior has been thoroughly studied in laboratory yeast strains, our knowledge of the antagonistic specificity of killer effects in nature remains limited. In this study, yeast strains were collected from various niches and screened for antagonistic activity against one toxin-sensitive strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and three pathogenic fungi. We demonstrate that some strains with antagonistic activity against these pathogenic fungi can be found in antagonist culture tests. These yeasts were identified as members of Trichosporon asahii, Candida stellimalicola, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Ustilago esculenta, Aureobasidium pullulans, and Pichia kluyveri. The results indicated that the antagonistic activity of these killer yeasts has a narrow optimal pH range. Furthermore, we found that the antagonistic activity of some species is strain-dependent.

Screening and Identification of Yeasts Antagonistic to Pathogenic Fungi Show a Narrow Optimal pH Range for Antagonistic Activity

National Changhua University of Education

Polish Journal of Microbiology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Microbes have evolved ways of interference competition to gain advantage over their ecological competitors. The use of secreted antagonistic compounds by yeast...

Screening and Identification of Yeasts Antagonistic to Pathogenic Fungi Show a Narrow Optimal pH Range for Antagonistic Activity

Published Online: Mar 30, 2017

Page range: 101 - 106

Received: Feb 25, 2016

Accepted: Dec 05, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5604/17331331.1234998

Keywords
antagonistic yeasts, interference competition, pathogenic fungi

© 2017 PEI-HUA CHEN et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Screening and Identification of Yeasts Antagonistic to Pathogenic Fungi Show a Narrow Optimal pH Range for Antagonistic Activity

Published Online: Mar 30, 2017

Page range: 101 - 106

Received: Feb 25, 2016

Accepted: Dec 05, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5604/17331331.1234998

Keywordsantagonistic yeasts, interference competition, pathogenic fungi

© 2017 PEI-HUA CHEN et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
antagonistic yeasts, interference competition, pathogenic fungi