Molecular identification of Pseudozyma aphidis (Henninger & Windisch) Boekhout: first record from a Brazilian mangrove swamp

ABSTRACT (Molecular identification of Pseudozyma aphidis (Henninger & Windisch) Boekhout: first record from a Brazilian mangrove swamp). Pseudozyma aphidis (Henninger & Windisch) Boekhout is an anamorph yeast-like basidiomycete commonly found as saprotroph in vegetable debris, such as leaves and flowers. However, there are also reports that this species is pathogenic in humans, usually occurring in patients with some type of immunosuppression, which predisposes to opportunistic infections. Specimens of P. aphidis were collected from water samples and Rhizophora mangle L. leaves at different salinities along the Perequê River, located in a mangrove swamp area at Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso, Cananéia municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil. Aliquots of these samples were spread in Petri dishes. The samples baited with cataphylls of Allium cepa L. were incubated for seven days at 21 ºC. After incubation, the baits were observed under microscope and the specimens were isolated and purified. The identification of the specimens was made through the phylogenetic analysis of the ITS rDNA region. This is the first record of P. aphidis in São Paulo State.