Taxogenomic analysis of a novel yeast species isolated from soil, Pichia galeolata sp. nov.

A novel budding yeast species was isolated from a soil sample collected in the United States of America. Phylogenetic analyses of multiple loci and phylogenomic analyses conclusively placed the species within the genus Pichia. Strain yHMH446 falls within a clade that includes Pichia norvegensis, Pichia pseudocactophila, Candida inconspicua, and Pichia cactophila. Whole genome sequence data were analyzed for the presence of genes known to be important for carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and the phenotypic data from the novel species were compared to all Pichia species with publicly available genomes. Across the genus, including the novel species candidate, we found that the inability to use many carbon and nitrogen sources correlated with the absence of metabolic genes. Based on these results, Pichia galeolata sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate yHMH446 (=NRRL Y-64187 = CBS 16864). This study shows how integrated taxogenomic analysis can add mechanistic insight to species descriptions.