Abstract
Species of the genera Taphrina Fr. and Protomyces Unger were screened for the presence of carotenoid pigments and the sterols ergosterol and brassicasterol. All strains produced carotenoids in variable amounts: Taphrina: 0.3–39 μg/g dry weight; Protomyces: 65–99 μg/g dry weight. It was concluded that the tow genera cannot be separated on the basis of presence or absence of carotenoids. Thirty strains (24 species) of Taphrina produced brassicasterol as the principal sterol; twenty-one strains (17 species) did not form ergosterol. Only four isolates (4 species) produced ergosterol without formation of brassicasterol. Brassicasterol was the major sterol in 3 species of Protomyces, whereas ergosterol was absent. Brassicasterol is a rather unique sterol within the fungal kingdom and has hitherto not been found in the red yeasts. Therefore, this sterol is of taxonomic significance in contrast with ergosterol, which is widespread among fungi.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Von Arx, J. A., van der Walt, J. P. and Liebenberg, N. V. D. W. 1982. The classification of Taphrina and other fungi with yeast-like cultural states.—Mycologia 74, in press.
Blank, F., Shortland, F. E. and Just, G. 1962. The free sterols of Dermatophytes. — J. Invest. Dermatol. 39: 91–94.
Davies, B. H. 1976. Carotenoids. p. 38–165. In T. W.Goodwin (ed.), Chemistry and biochemistry of plant pigments. Vol 2. (2nd Ed.). — Academic Press, London.
Fujii, S., Aoki, H., Kômoto, M., Munakata, K. and Tamura, T. 1968. Studies on the hypertrophic disease of cherry (genus Prunus), so-called “Witch's Broom” caused by Taphrina wiesneri. Part I. On the metabolites of T. Wiesneri. — Agric. Biol. Chem. 32: 810–815.
Fujino, Y. and Ohnishi, M. 1979. Characterization and composition of sterols in the free and esterified sterol fractions of Aspergillus oryzae. — Lipids 14: 663–668.
Mix, A. J. 1949. A monograph of the genus Taphrina. — Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 33: 3–167.
Valadon, L. R. G. 1964. Carotenoid pigments of some lower Ascomycetes. — J. Exp. Bot. 15: 219–224.
Valadon, L. R. G. 1976. Carotenoids as additional taxonomic characters in fungi: a review. —Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 67: 1–15.
Weeks, O. B. and Garner, R. J. 1967. Biosynthesis of carotenoids in Flavobacterium dehydrogenans Arnaudi. — Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 121: 35–49.
Weete, J. D. 1980. Lipid biochemistry of fungi and other organisms. p. 234. — Plenum Press, New York.
Weijman, A. C. M. 1978. Use of a single infusion bottle to culture and prepare potentially hazardous microorganisms for biochemical analysis. — Can. J. Microbiol. 24: 1097–1098.
Wirth, J. C., Beesley, B. S. and Miller, W. 1961. The isolation of a unique sterol from the mycelium of a strain of Trichophyton rubrum. — J. Invest. Dermatol. 37: 153–159.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van Eijk, G.W., Roeymans, H.J. Distribution of carotenoids and sterols in relation to the taxonomy of Taphrina and Protomyces . Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 48, 257–264 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00400385
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00400385