Candidozyma cisalpinoae sp. nov., a Genomically Distinct, Flower-Associated Yeast, Resistant to Azoles and Exhibiting Pathogenicity-Related Traits Anna Paula O. Tironi, Katharina O. Barros, Luiz Felipe A. Santana, Daniela L. Souza, Ana Raquel O. Santos, et al. Yeast, 2026 Six yeast isolates were recovered from Ipomoea flowers collected in the Cerrado biome of Tocantins, Brazil. Sequence analyses of the ITS–5.8S region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene indicated that these isolates represent a novel species of the genus Candidozyma , phylogenetically related to Candidozyma auris and Ca. ruelliae . A phylogenomic analysis based on 2116 single‐copy orthologs from Candidozyma species with available whole‐genome sequences showed that the new species, represented by strain UFMG‐CM‐Y6065, is a sister species to Ca. ruelliae . The name Candidozyma cisalpinoae sp. nov. (MycoBank no. 861366) is proposed to accommodate the new species. The holotype is CBS16108. Sporulation or other evidence of sexual reproduction was not observed, although the genome sequence showed the presence of a functional mating type locus ( MAT a) and functional pheromone peptides, indicating that the species is haplontic and heterothallic. The species exhibited resistance to multiple antifungals, growth at 42°C, biofilm formation, adhesion to buccal epithelial cells, and expression of efflux pumps, traits of clinical relevance that have been reported for other species in the genus Candidozyma .
Vanderwaltozyma urihicola sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from rotting wood and beetles in a Brazilian Amazonian rainforest biome Flávia B. M. Alvarenga, Katharina O. Barros, Thiago M. Batista, Gisele F. L. Souza, Ana Raquel O. Santos, et al. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2025 Five yeast isolates belonging to a candidate for novel species were obtained from rotting wood and the gut of a passalid beetle larva in a site of Amazonian rainforest biome in Brazil. Sequence analysis of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS)-5.8S region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene showed that the isolates represent a novel species of the genus Vanderwaltozyma. The closest relative of the novel species is Vanderwaltozyma huisunica. These species differs due to 44 nt substitutions and 21 indels in the sequences of the ITS region, as well as by 15 substitutions and four indels in the sequences of the D1/D2 domains. A phylogenomic analysis of the Vanderwaltozyma species with genomes sequenced showed that this novel species is an outgroup to the other species of this genus. We propose the name Vanderwaltozyma urihicola sp. nov. (CBS 18107T, MycoBank MB 856975) to accommodate these isolates. The species is homothallic, producing one to two ascospores per ascus. The habitat of V. urihicola is rotting wood in the Brazilian Amazonian rainforest biome.
Taxogenomic analysis of Pichia senei sp. nov. and new insights into hybridization events in the Pichia cactophila species complex Katharina O Barros, Jassim Al-Oboudi, Larissa F D Freitas, Francisca M P Sousa, Thiago M Batista, et al. FEMS Yeast Research, 2025 Three strains of a novel yeast species were isolated from necrotic cactus tissues of Cereus saddianus and Micranthocereus dolichospermaticus and from phytotelmata of Bromelia karatas. DNA sequence analysis of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region and D1/D2 domains of the large subunit ribosomal RNA, along with whole genome phylogenomic analysis, showed that this yeast is most closely related to Pichia insulana, Pichia cactophila, and Pichia inconspicua. The new species differs by 10–13 nucleotide substitutions from these species in D1/D2 sequences and exhibits <90% genome-wide average nucleotide identity to them. The name Pichia senei sp. nov. is proposed for the novel species, which is homothallic and produces asci with one to four hat-shaped ascospores. The holotype is CBS 16311 (MycoBank MB 858723). Taxogenomic analyses of the P. cactophila species complex, including P. senei, provide new insights about the hybridizations events that shaped this group. Pichia insulana and P. inconspicua are identified as the parental lineages that originated P. cactophila, and P. senei also appears closely related to one of the progenitors of P. inconspicua. We assess phylogeny, heterozygosity, and ploidy to explore the processes shaping diversity, showing how genomic data support yeast species delimitation and reveal complex hybridization.
The nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies of Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae: Meliponini), a tiny yet remarkable pollinator in the Neotropics Rafael Rodrigues Ferrari, Paulo Cseri Ricardo, Felipe Cordeiro Dias, Natalia de Souza Araujo, Dalliane Oliveira Soares, et al. BMC Genomics, 2024 Background The field of bee genomics has considerably advanced in recent years, however, the most diverse group of honey producers on the planet, the stingless bees, are still largely neglected. In fact, only eleven of the ~ 600 described stingless bee species have been sequenced, and only three using a long-read (LR) sequencing technology. Here, we sequenced the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of the most common, widespread and broadly reared stingless bee in Brazil and other neotropical countries—Tetragonisca angustula (popularly known in Brazil as jataí). Results A total of 48.01 Gb of DNA data were generated, including 2.31 Gb of Pacific Bioscience HiFi reads and 45.70 Gb of Illumina short reads (SRs). Our preferred assembly comprised 683 contigs encompassing 284.49 Mb, 62.84 Mb of which (22.09%) corresponded to 445,793 repetitive elements. N50, L50 and complete BUSCOs reached 1.02 Mb, 91 contigs and 97.1%, respectively. We predicted that the genome of T. angustula comprises 17,459 protein-coding genes and 4,108 non-coding RNAs. The mitogenome consisted of 17,410 bp, and all 37 genes were found to be on the positive strand, an unusual feature among bees. A phylogenomic analysis of 26 hymenopteran species revealed that six odorant receptor orthogroups of T. angustula were found to be experiencing rapid evolution, four of them undergoing significant contractions. Conclusions Here, we provided the first nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies for the ecologically and economically important T. angustula, the fourth stingless bee species to be sequenced with LR technology thus far. We demonstrated that even relatively small amounts of LR data in combination with sufficient SR data can yield high-quality genome assemblies for bees.
Spencermartinsiella nicolii sp. nov., a potential opportunistic pathogenic yeast species isolated from rotting wood in Brazil Katharina O. Barros, Aline D. Valério, Thiago M. Batista, Ana Raquel O. Santos, Gisele F. L. Souza, et al. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2024 Nineteen isolates representing a candidate for a novel yeast species belonging to the genus Spencermartinsiella were recovered from rotting wood samples collected at different sites in Atlantic Rainforest and Amazonian Forest ecosystems in Brazil. Similarity search of the nucleotide sequence of the intergenic spacer (ITS)-5.8S and large subunit D1/D2 regions of the ribosomal gene cluster showed that this novel yeast is closely related to Spencermartinsiella cellulosicola. The isolates differ by four nucleotide substitutions in the D1/D2 domain and six substitutions and 31 indels in the ITS region from the holotype of S. cellulosicola. Phylogenomic analysis based on 1474 single-copy orthologues for a set of Spencermartinsiella species whose whole genome sequences are available confirmed that the novel species is phylogenetically close to S. cellulosicola. The low average nucleotide identity value of 83% observed between S. cellulosicola and the candidate species confirms that they are distinct. The novel species produced asci with hemispherical ascospores. The name Spencermartinsiella nicolii sp. nov. is proposed. The holotype is CBS 14238T. The MycoBank number is MB855027. Interestingly, the D1/D2 sequence of the S. nicolii was identical to that of an uncultured strain of Spencermartinsiella causing systemic infection in a male adult crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). The characterization of some virulence factors and antifungal susceptibility of S. nicolii isolates suggest that this yeast may be an opportunistic pathogen for animals, including humans; the isolates grow at 37 °C.
Spathaspora marinasilvae sp. nov., a xylose-fermenting yeast isolated from galleries of passalid beetles and rotting wood in the Amazonian rainforest biome Katharina O. Barros, Thiago M. Batista, Rafaela C. C. Soares, Mariana R. Lopes, Flávia B. M. Alvarenga, et al. Yeast, 2024 Four yeast isolates were obtained from rotting wood and galleries of passalid beetles collected in different sites of the Brazilian Amazonian Rainforest in Brazil. This yeast produces unconjugated allantoid asci each with a single elongated ascospore with curved ends. Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer‐5.8 S region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene showed that the isolates represent a novel species of the genus Spathaspora. The novel species is phylogenetically related to a subclade containing Spathaspora arborariae and Spathaspora suhii. Phylogenomic analysis based on 1884 single‐copy orthologs for a set of Spathaspora species whose whole genome sequences are available confirmed that the novel species represented by strain UFMG‐CM‐Y285 is phylogenetically close to Sp. arborariae. The name Spathaspora marinasilvae sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate the novel species. The holotype of Sp. marinasilvae is CBS 13467 T (MycoBank 852799). The novel species was able to accumulate xylitol and produce ethanol from d‐xylose, a trait of biotechnological interest common to several species of the genus Spathaspora.
Description of Millerago gen. nov. based on taxogenomic analysis, with two new species, Millerago phaffii f.a., sp. nov. and Millerago galiae f.a., sp. nov. Angela M. García-Acero, Thiago M. Batista, Gisele F. L. Souza, Ana Raquel O. Santos, Daniela L. Souza, et al. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2024 An erratum of this article has been published full details can be found at https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006591 Four yeast isolates obtained from tree bark and fermenting sap of Quercus spp. and insects in Colombia and Japan were phylogenetically related to Candida galis based on analyses of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene. The novel species differs from C. galis by 20 nt substitutions and 5 indels in the D1/D2 sequences. A phylogenomic analysis suggested that these species are related to Candida ficus, the genus Phaffomyces and a small clade containing Barnettozyma botsteinii, Barnettozyma siamensis and Candida montana. Our genomic analyses suggest that the novel species and C. galis should be separated in a novel yeast genus. We propose the genus Millerago gen. nov. to accommodate these species and the species Millerago phaffii f.a., sp. nov. (CBS 18021T; MycoBank MB856172) to accommodate the Colombian and Japanese isolates. The Colombian isolate of M. phaffii differs from the Japanese isolates by three nt substitutions and one indel and two substitutions and one indel in the ITS and D1/D2 sequences, respectively, showing that they were conspecific. We also propose the new species Millerago galiae sp. nov. to validate this species according to the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants.
Saccharomycopsis praedatoria sp. nov., a predacious yeast isolated from soil and rotten wood in an Amazonian rainforest biome Ana Raquel O. Santos, Katharina O. Barros, Thiago M. Batista, Gisele F. L. Souza, Flávia B. M. Alvarenga, et al. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2023 Three yeast isolates were obtained from soil and rotting wood samples collected in an Amazonian rainforest biome in Brazil. Comparison of the intergenic spacer 5.8S region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene showed that the isolates represent a novel species of the genus Saccharomycopsis. A tree inferred from the D1/D2 sequences placed the novel species near a subclade containing Saccharomycopsis lassenensis, Saccharomycopsis fermentans, Saccharomycopsis javanensis, Saccharomycopsis babjevae, Saccharomycopsis schoenii and Saccharomycopsis oosterbeekiorum, but with low bootstrap support. In terms of sequence divergence, the novel species had the highest identity in the D1/D2 domains with Saccharomycopsis capsularis, from which it differed by 36 substitutions. In contrast, a phylogenomic analysis based on 1061 single-copy orthologs for a smaller set of Saccharomycopsis species whose whole genome sequences are available indicated that the novel species represented by strain UFMG-CM-Y6991 is phylogenetically closer to Saccharomycopsis fodiens and Saccharomycopsis sp. TF2021a (=Saccharomycopsis phalluae). The novel yeast is homothallic and produces asci with one spheroidal ascospore with an equatorial or subequatorial ledge. The name Saccharomycopsis praedatoria sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate the novel species. The holotype of Saccharomycopsis praedatoria is CBS 16589T. The MycoBank number is MB849369. S. praedatoria was able to kill cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by means of penetration with infection pegs, a trait common to most species of Saccharomycopsis.
Comparative genomics provides insights into the cold adaptation of endophytic fungi associated with Deschampsia antarctica F Lucini, A Lebreton, E Seifollahi, KW Barry, S Haridas, S Ahrendt, ... Fungal Genetics and Biology, 104077 , 2026 2026
Retroelement expansions underlie genome evolution in stingless bees N de Souza Araujo, P Azevedo, RR Ferrari, LB Dos Santos, F Rodriguez, ... BMC genomics , 2026 2026 Citations: 3
Candidozyma cisalpinoae sp. nov., a Genomically Distinct, Flower‐Associated Yeast, Resistant to Azoles and Exhibiting Pathogenicity‐Related Traits APO Tironi, KO Barros, LFA Santana, DL Souza, ARO Santos, GR Ávila, ... Yeast 43 (1-2), 25-37 , 2026 2026
The peptide LyeTx I mnΔK induces transcriptomic reprogramming in a novel Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii FG de Carvalho Oliveira, K de Oliveira Barros, D de Oliveira Vianei, ... bioRxiv, 2025.09. 29.679197 , 2025 2025
Vanderwaltozyma urihicola sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from rotting wood and beetles in a Brazilian Amazonian rainforest biome FBM Alvarenga, KO Barros, TM Batista, GFL Souza, ARO Santos, ... International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 75 (3), 006718 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Taxogenomic analysis of Pichia senei sp. nov. and new insights into hybridization events in the Pichia cactophila species complex KO Barros, J Al-Oboudi, LFD Freitas, FMP Sousa, TM Batista, ARO Santos, ... FEMS Yeast Research 25, foaf037 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Description of Millerago gen. nov. based on taxogenomic analysis, with two new species, Millerago phaffii f.a., sp. nov. and Millerago galiae f.a., sp. nov. AM García-Acero, TM Batista, GFL Souza, ARO Santos, DL Souza, ... International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology 74 (10 … , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Spencermartinsiella nicolii sp. nov., a potential opportunistic pathogenic yeast species isolated from rotting wood in Brazil KO Barros, AD Valério, TM Batista, ARO Santos, GFL Souza, ... International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 74 (9), 006520 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Spathaspora marinasilvae sp. nov., a xylose‐fermenting yeast isolated from galleries of passalid beetles and rotting wood in the Amazonian rainforest biome KO Barros, TM Batista, RCC Soares, MR Lopes, FBM Alvarenga, ... Yeast 41 (7), 437-447 , 2024 2024 Citations: 5
Fungal genome assembly (short reads) V. 2 TM Batista 2024
Montagem de genomas de fungos (short reads) protocol v1 TM Batista 2024
Structural and Functional Annotation of bee genome RR Ferrari, TM Batista 2024
Montagem de genomas de fungos (short reads) TM Batista 2024
The nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies of Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae: Meliponini), a tiny yet remarkable pollinator in the Neotropics RR Ferrari, PC Ricardo, FC Dias, N de Souza Araujo, DO Soares, ... BMC genomics 25 (1), 587 , 2024 2024 Citations: 13
Genome sequence and effectorome of Moniliophthora perniciosa and Moniliophthora roreri subpopulations CS Barbosa, RR Fonseca, TM Batista, MA Barreto, CS Argolo, ... BMC genomics 19 (1), 509 , 2018 2018 Citations: 53
RNAi pathways in parasitic protists and worms TM Batista, JT Marques Journal of proteomics 74 (9), 1504-1514 , 2011 2011 Citations: 47
Whole-genome sequencing of the endemic Antarctic fungus Antarctomyces pellizariae reveals an ice-binding protein, a scarce set of secondary metabolites gene clusters and … TM Batista, HO Hilario, GAM de Brito, RG Moreira, C Furtado, ... Genomics 112 (5), 2915-2921 , 2020 2020 Citations: 36
Spathaspora boniae sp. nov., a D -xylose-fermenting species in the Candida albicans/Lodderomyces clade CG Morais, TM Batista, J Kominek, BM Borelli, C Furtado, RG Moreira, ... International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 67 (10 … , 2017 2017 Citations: 34
Draft Genome Sequence of the Probiotic Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii Strain ATCC MYA-796 TM Batista, ETA Marques Jr, GR Franco, B Douradinha Genome announcements 2 (6), 10.1128/genomea. 01345-14 , 2014 2014 Citations: 27
Yeast communities associated with cacti in Brazil and the description of Kluyveromyces starmeri sp. nov. based on phylogenomic analyses LFD Freitas, TM Batista, ARO Santos, HO Hilário, RG Moreira, GR Franco, ... Yeast 37 (12), 625-637 , 2020 2020 Citations: 17
Scheffersomyces stambukii f.a., sp. nov., a d -xylose-fermenting species isolated from rotting wood MR Lopes, TM Batista, GR Franco, LR Ribeiro, ARO Santos, C Furtado, ... International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 68 (7 … , 2018 2018 Citations: 16
Draft Genome Sequence of Metschnikowia australis Strain UFMG-CM-Y6158, an Extremophile Marine Yeast Endemic to Antarctica. TM BATISTA, HO HILÁRIO, RG MOREIRA, C FURTADO, VM GODINHO, ... Genome Announcements 5 , 2017 2017 Citations: 14
The nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies of Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae: Meliponini), a tiny yet remarkable pollinator in the Neotropics RR Ferrari, PC Ricardo, FC Dias, N de Souza Araujo, DO Soares, ... BMC genomics 25 (1), 587 , 2024 2024 Citations: 13
Saccharomycopsis praedatoria sp. nov., a predacious yeast isolated from soil and rotten wood in an Amazonian rainforest biome ARO Santos, KO Barros, TM Batista, GFL Souza, FBM Alvarenga, ... International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 73 (10 … , 2023 2023 Citations: 7
The Whole Genome of Colletes collaris (Hymenoptera: Colletidae): An Important Step in Comparative Genomics of Cellophane Bees RR Ferrari, TM Batista, QS Zhou, HO Hilário, MC Orr, A Luo, CD Zhu Genome biology and evolution 15 (5), evad062 , 2023 2023 Citations: 7
From in-person to the online world: insights into organizing events in bioinformatics AL da Silva, AP Abreu, D Mariano, F Caixeta, FB Santos, FSD Lage, ... Frontiers in Bioinformatics 1, 711463 , 2021 2021 Citations: 7
Genomic and Pathogenicity Mechanisms of the Main Theobroma cacao L. Eukaryotic Pathogens: A Systematic Review DPS de Novais, TM Batista, EA Costa, CP Pirovani Microorganisms 11 (6), 1567 , 2023 2023 Citations: 6
Spathaspora marinasilvae sp. nov., a xylose‐fermenting yeast isolated from galleries of passalid beetles and rotting wood in the Amazonian rainforest biome KO Barros, TM Batista, RCC Soares, MR Lopes, FBM Alvarenga, ... Yeast 41 (7), 437-447 , 2024 2024 Citations: 5
Retroelement expansions underlie genome evolution in stingless bees N de Souza Araujo, P Azevedo, RR Ferrari, LB Dos Santos, F Rodriguez, ... BMC genomics , 2026 2026 Citations: 3
Draft genome sequence of Sugiyamaella xylanicola UFMG-CM-Y1884T, a xylan-degrading yeast species isolated from rotting wood samples in Brazil. CAR Thiago M. Batista, Rennan G. Moreira, Heron O. Hilario, Camila G. Morais ... Genomics Data 11, 120-121 , 2017 2017 Citations: 3
Taxogenomic analysis of Pichia senei sp. nov. and new insights into hybridization events in the Pichia cactophila species complex KO Barros, J Al-Oboudi, LFD Freitas, FMP Sousa, TM Batista, ARO Santos, ... FEMS Yeast Research 25, foaf037 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Draft genome sequence of Metschnikowia australis strain UFMG-CM-Y6158, an extremophile marine yeast endemic to Antarctica. Genome Announc 5: e00328-e417 TM Batista, HO Hilário, RG Moreira, C Furtado, VM Godinho, LH Rosa, ... 2017 Citations: 2
Vanderwaltozyma urihicola sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from rotting wood and beetles in a Brazilian Amazonian rainforest biome FBM Alvarenga, KO Barros, TM Batista, GFL Souza, ARO Santos, ... International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 75 (3), 006718 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Description of Millerago gen. nov. based on taxogenomic analysis, with two new species, Millerago phaffii f.a., sp. nov. and Millerago galiae f.a., sp. nov. AM García-Acero, TM Batista, GFL Souza, ARO Santos, DL Souza, ... International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology 74 (10 … , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
