Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the yeast Pichia farinosa and comparative analysis of closely related species

• Published in: Current genetics Vol. 56; no. 6; pp. 507 - 515
• Main Authors: Jung, Paul P, Friedrich, Anne, Souciet, Jean-Luc, Louis, Véronique, Potier, Serge, de Montigny, Jacky, Schacherer, Joseph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.12.2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Candida; Cell Biology; CTG group; DNA, Mitochondrial - analysis; Gene Order; Genetic Code; Genetic Speciation; Genome, Fungal; Genome, Mitochondrial - genetics; Inteins - genetics; Life Sciences; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Mitochondrial genome; Models, Biological; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Pichia; Pichia - genetics; Pichia farinosa; Pichia sorbitophila; Plant Sciences; Proteomics; Research Article; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Species Specificity; Transcription, Genetic - physiology; Mitochondrial genome; CTG group; Phylogeny
• ISSN: 0172-8083; 1432-0983
• DOI: 10.1007/s00294-010-0318-y

Yeasts of the Pichia genus have been isolated from different natural environments. Phylogenies based on multigene sequence analysis have shown that the genus is polyphyletic. Some species of this genus are member of the CTG group. In order to have a better insight into the relationship among species assigned to the yeast genera Pichia into the CTG group, we first sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the osmotolerant yeast Pichia farinosa. We then compared this genome with mitochondrial genomes of yeasts of the CTG group. The P. farinosa mitochondrial DNA is a circular-mapping genome of 32,065 bp, which contains 43 genes transcribed from both strands. It contains a complete set of tRNAs, the small and the large rRNAs, as well as 14 protein-coding genes. Yeasts of the CTG group contain the same core of mitochondrial genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial sequences clearly shows that the CTG group is divided into two distinct clades: the first one contains diploid Candida species, whereas the second mainly contains haploid Pichia species. Moreover, this analysis provides clear evidence that Pichia farinosa and Pichia sorbitophila, which were known to be unique species, are two distinct species.