Fungal community associated with marine macroalgae from Antarctica

Abstract

Filamentous fungi and yeasts associated with the marine algae Adenocystis utricularis, Desmarestia anceps, and Palmaria decipiens from Antarctica were studied. A total of 75 fungal isolates, represented by 27 Wlamentous fungi and 48 yeasts, were isolated from the three algal species and identiWed by morphological, physiological, and sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region and D1/D2 variable domains of the large-subunit rRNA gene. The Wlamentous fungi and yeasts obtained were identiWed as belonging to the genera Geomyces, Antarctomyces, Oidiodendron, Penicillium, Phaeosphaeria, Aureobasidium, Cryptococcus, Leucosporidium, Metschnikowia, and Rhodotorula. The prevalent species were the Wlamentous fungus Geomyces pannorum and the yeast Metschnikowia australis. Two fungal species isolated in our study, Antarctomyces psychrotrophicus and M. australis, are endemic to Antarctica. This work is the Wrst study of fungi associated with Antarctic marine macroalgae, and contributes to the taxonomy and ecology of the marine fungi living in polar environments. These fungal species may have an important role in the ecosystem and in organic matter recycling.