In this study, yeasts with broad range of pH tolerance were isolated and characterized from natural aquatic environments in Japan. Only a few basic and application studies of alkali-tolerant yeasts have been reported, despite the unmet industrial needs. First, we surveyed alkali-tolerant yeasts from natural aquatic environments at pH 7.6 - 9.4. We isolated 35 yeast strains that grew in pH 9.0 medium, from seven genera and nine species: 25 strains (N1, N2, through N6, N9, K1, K3 through K19) were Rhodotorula mucilaginosa; one (N7) was Rhodosporidium fluvial; one (N8) was Scheffersomyces spartinae; two (N10 and N13) were Wicherhamonyces anomalus; one (N11) was Cyberlindnera saturnus; one (S1) was Candida sp.; two (S2 and S4) were Candida intermedia; one (S3) was Candida quercuum; and one (K2) was Cryptococcus liquefacience. We examined the effects of pH on the growth of representative yeast strains. Strains K12 and S4 showed high growth at pH 3 - 10. Strains N7, N8, N10, N11, and S3 showed high growth at pH 3 - 9. Strains K2 and S1 showed high growth at pH 4 - 8. All nine of these strains had neutralizing activities from acidic media at pH 3 - 5 to pH 6 - 8. We previously isolated acid-tolerant yeasts (Cryptococcus sp. T1 [1] and Candida intermedia CeA16 [2]) from extremely acidified environments; they showed high growth at pH 3 - 9 and neutralizing activities of acidic media by releasing ammonium ions. Thus, alkali-tolerant yeasts and acid-tolerant yeasts were found to be similar species and have both high growth at a broad range of pH and neutralizing activities of acid media. Previously, we also isolated acid-tolerant, acid-neutralizing yeasts from neutral natural environments (26 strains, 12 species) [3]. Next, we constructed the phylogenetic trees of both acid-tolerant yeasts and alkali-tolerant yeasts. All were situated in the same classification position. Similar yeast species with a broad range of pH tolerance were living in natural aquatic environments at pH values from alkali to acid.
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