Taxonomic study of four yeast strains assimilating methanol.

The new isolated yeasts were very good producers of biomass from methanol. Their taxonomic studies were based on classical classification, GC content of DNA, proton magnetic resonance spectrum of the cell wall mannans and mannan and glucan and chitin contents in the cell walls. The isolates could not be identified with any species described in literature. Considering their special features and some relation to the known species, the isolated yeasts were classified as follows: C-16 as Candida bimundalis var. chlamydospora, C-4 as Candida melinii var. melibiosica, D-3 as Candida silvicola var. melibiosica and M-1 as Torulopsis candida var. nitratophila.