Home • Moniliella sp. MCA 3643 v1.0
Budding yeast cells (left) and colony morphology (right) of Moniliella sp. MCA3643. Bars = 20 microns (left) and 2.5 mm (right). Photo courtesy: Teeratas Kijpornyongpan (left) and M. Catherine Aime (right).
Budding yeast cells (left) and colony morphology (right) of Moniliella sp. MCA3643. Bars = 20 microns (left) and 2.5 mm (right). Photo courtesy: Teeratas Kijpornyongpan (left) and M. Catherine Aime (right).

The genus Moniliella contains basidiomycete yeasts of which a few, such as M. suaveolens, may be pathogenic on human and animal skin (McKenzie et al., 1984; Pawar et al., 2002).  Others, such as M. tomentosa and M. megachiliensis, are of interest in sugar alcohol production in industrial settings (Burschäpers et al., 2002; Kobayashi et al., 2015). The genus was initially thought to be closely related to Tremellomycetes yeasts in Agaricomycotina (de Hoog, 1979; Guarro et al. 1999). Recently, Wang et al. (2014) established Moniliellomycetes in Ustilaginomycotina to accommodate the placement of the genus Moniliella based on a multigene molecular phylogeny. However, the exact placement in the subphylum is yet to be resolved.

The genome of Moniliella sp. MCA3643 will represent the first reference genome for a member of Moniliellomycetes. Researchers will utilize this genome for phylogenomic reconstruction to determine the phylogenetic placement of this genus within the subphylum Ustilaginomycotina. Additionally, the genome will provide a resource for comparative genomics in order to explore genes involved in sugar alcohol production.

If you would like to use this genome in your research, please contact Dr. M. Catherine Aime ([email protected]) and Dr. Igor Grigoriev ([email protected]) for permission.


References:

Burschäpers J, Schustolla D, Schügerl K, Röper H, de Troostembergh JC. 2002. Engineering aspects of the production of sugar alcohols with the osmophilic yeast Moniliella tomentosa var pollinis: Part 2. Batch and fed-batch operation in bubble column and airlift tower loop if reactors. Process Biochemistry 38(4): 559–570.

de Hoog GS. 1979. The taxonomic position of Moniliella, Trichosporonoides and Hyalodendron - an essay. Studies in Mycology 19: 81–90.

Guarro J, Gené J, Stchigel AM. 1999. Developments in fungal taxonomy. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 12(3): 454–500.

Kobayashi Y, Iwata H, Mizushima D, Ogihara J, Kasumi T. 2015. Erythritol production by Moniliella megachiliensis using nonrefined glycerol waste as carbon source. Letters in Applied Microbiology 60(5): 475–480.

McKenzie RA, Connole MD, McGinnis MR, Lepelaar R. 1984. Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by Moniliella suaveolens in two cats. Veterinary Pathology 21(6): 582–586.

Pawar S, Murray D, Khalife W, Robinson-Dunn B, Mcginnis M. 2002. Human infection caused by Moniliella suaveolens. Clinical Microbiology Newsletter 24(7):53–55.

Wang Q, Theelen B, Groenewald M, Bai F, Boekhout T. 2014. Moniliellomycetes and Malasseziomycetes, two new classes in Ustilaginomycotina. Persoonia 33: 41–47.