<i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> and Related Pulcherrimin-Producing Yeasts: Fuzzy Species Boundaries and Complex Antimicrobial Antagonism
Yeasts affiliated with the <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> clade (subclade) of the large ascomycetous genus <i>Metschnikowia</i> frequently turn out to produce the characteristic maroon-red pulcherrimin when tested for pigment production and prove to exert antagonistic effec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/7/1029 |
| _version_ | 1797562612906459136 |
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| author | Matthias Sipiczki |
| author_facet | Matthias Sipiczki |
| author_sort | Matthias Sipiczki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Yeasts affiliated with the <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> clade (subclade) of the large ascomycetous genus <i>Metschnikowia</i> frequently turn out to produce the characteristic maroon-red pulcherrimin when tested for pigment production and prove to exert antagonistic effects on many types of microorganisms. The determination of the exact taxonomic position of the strains is hampered by the shortage of distinctive morphological and physiological properties of the species of the clade and the lack of rDNA barcode gaps. The rDNA repeats of the type strains of the species are not homogenized and are assumed to evolve by a birth-and-death mechanism combined with reticulation. The taxonomic division is further hampered by the incomplete biological (reproductive) isolation of the species: certain type strains can be hybridized and genome sequencing revealed chimeric genome structures in certain strains that might have evolved from interspecies hybrids (alloploid genome duplication). Various mechanisms have been proposed for the antimicrobial antagonism. One is related to pulcherrimin production. The diffusible precursor of pulcherrimin, the pulcherriminic acid is secreted by the cells into the environment where it forms the insoluble pulcherrimin with the ferric ions. The lack of free iron caused by the immobilization of ferric ions inhibits the growth of many microorganisms. Recent results of research into the complexity of the taxonomic division of the pulcherrimin-producing <i>Metschnikowia</i> yeasts and the mechanism(s) underlying their antimicrobial antagonism are discussed in this review. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:31:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-48b87ae6fe2340c58153ae8c4b33cc21 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:31:25Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-48b87ae6fe2340c58153ae8c4b33cc212023-11-20T06:33:09ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072020-07-0187102910.3390/microorganisms8071029<i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> and Related Pulcherrimin-Producing Yeasts: Fuzzy Species Boundaries and Complex Antimicrobial AntagonismMatthias Sipiczki0Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, HungaryYeasts affiliated with the <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> clade (subclade) of the large ascomycetous genus <i>Metschnikowia</i> frequently turn out to produce the characteristic maroon-red pulcherrimin when tested for pigment production and prove to exert antagonistic effects on many types of microorganisms. The determination of the exact taxonomic position of the strains is hampered by the shortage of distinctive morphological and physiological properties of the species of the clade and the lack of rDNA barcode gaps. The rDNA repeats of the type strains of the species are not homogenized and are assumed to evolve by a birth-and-death mechanism combined with reticulation. The taxonomic division is further hampered by the incomplete biological (reproductive) isolation of the species: certain type strains can be hybridized and genome sequencing revealed chimeric genome structures in certain strains that might have evolved from interspecies hybrids (alloploid genome duplication). Various mechanisms have been proposed for the antimicrobial antagonism. One is related to pulcherrimin production. The diffusible precursor of pulcherrimin, the pulcherriminic acid is secreted by the cells into the environment where it forms the insoluble pulcherrimin with the ferric ions. The lack of free iron caused by the immobilization of ferric ions inhibits the growth of many microorganisms. Recent results of research into the complexity of the taxonomic division of the pulcherrimin-producing <i>Metschnikowia</i> yeasts and the mechanism(s) underlying their antimicrobial antagonism are discussed in this review.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/7/1029<i>Metschnikowia</i>taxonomybarcodesgenomereticulationantagonism |
| spellingShingle | Matthias Sipiczki <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> and Related Pulcherrimin-Producing Yeasts: Fuzzy Species Boundaries and Complex Antimicrobial Antagonism Microorganisms <i>Metschnikowia</i> taxonomy barcodes genome reticulation antagonism |
| title | <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> and Related Pulcherrimin-Producing Yeasts: Fuzzy Species Boundaries and Complex Antimicrobial Antagonism |
| title_full | <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> and Related Pulcherrimin-Producing Yeasts: Fuzzy Species Boundaries and Complex Antimicrobial Antagonism |
| title_fullStr | <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> and Related Pulcherrimin-Producing Yeasts: Fuzzy Species Boundaries and Complex Antimicrobial Antagonism |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> and Related Pulcherrimin-Producing Yeasts: Fuzzy Species Boundaries and Complex Antimicrobial Antagonism |
| title_short | <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> and Related Pulcherrimin-Producing Yeasts: Fuzzy Species Boundaries and Complex Antimicrobial Antagonism |
| title_sort | i metschnikowia pulcherrima i and related pulcherrimin producing yeasts fuzzy species boundaries and complex antimicrobial antagonism |
| topic | <i>Metschnikowia</i> taxonomy barcodes genome reticulation antagonism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/7/1029 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT matthiassipiczki imetschnikowiapulcherrimaiandrelatedpulcherriminproducingyeastsfuzzyspeciesboundariesandcomplexantimicrobialantagonism |