Abstract Detail

Poster Session

Johannsen, Aleshia G [1], Almatruk, Maryam A [1], Belnap, Jayne [2], Kuske, Cheryl R [3], Porras-Alfaro, Andrea [1].

Diversity and Distribution of Yeasts in Arid Grassland Soils.

Yeasts are an important component of the human mycobiome and are responsible for a high proportion of opportunistic fungal infections, but very little is known about their diversity, ecological roles, and distribution in natural ecosystems. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify yeasts present in rhizosphere soil and biological soil crust from an arid ecosystem in Utah. The soil samples were diluted and plated on peptone-yeast extract-glucose-agar (PYG) and incubated at 35°C for several weeks. Eighty-one pure cultures were isolated on PYG. Yeast isolates were obtained from all sample types suggesting a wide distribution of yeasts in the different microenvironments in this semiarid ecosystem. At least four different dominant morphotypes were found and a higher number of yeasts were isolated from the moss-dominated biocrust and below a lichen-dominated biocrust. Yeast cultures will be sequenced for identification using the ITS rRNA and compared with soil sequence data from the same site and samples.

1 - Western Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1 University Cirlce, Macomb, IL, 61455, United States
2 - US Geological Survery, Climate Variability & Change, 2290 S. West Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA
3 - Los Alamos National Lab, Environmental Microbiology, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, United States

Keywords:
none specified

Presentation Type: Offered Paper - Poster
Session: P6
Location: Lincoln Room/Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center
Date: Tuesday, June 10th, 2014
Time: 8:00 PM
Number: P6003
Abstract ID:127
Candidate for Awards:None