Abstract
Yeasts are unicellular fungi; they are found in a diverse range of natural habitats, including soil, aquatic environments, the surface of plants, and the skin and mucosal surfaces of animal hosts. A variety of yeasts have been found in the soil environment. However, most studies of soil yeasts have come from developed countries, and there is a dearth of research on soil yeasts in Africa. In this study, we analyzed 493 soil samples from nine geographical locations in Cameroon for yeasts, using a culture - based method. A total of 110 yeast isolates were obtained. Based on their sequences at the fungal barcode locus, the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene cluster, the 110 yeast isolates were putatively identified as belonging to 16 yeast species, including 15 Ascomycetes and one Basidiomycete. Differences in yeast species distribution were observed among the analyzed geographic regions. PCR fingerprinting analyses identified a large number of genotypes among strains within each of the obtained yeast species. Significantly, there was little evidence of geographic clustering among yeast strains from any of the yeast species. Our results suggest that Cameroon contains significant yeast diversity and that gene flow is common among local and regional soil yeast populations.
Highlights
The “Fungal Kingdom” comprises diverse groups of organisms that can be separated to different categories based on different sets of criteria
Due to the close association between S. cerevisiae and humans in food, fermentation and scientific research, it’s been difficult to determine how much of the observed relationships among populations of this yeast was due to anthropogenic activities and how much was due to natural forces
Our analyses revealed the presence of a variety of yeast species in Cameroon, with evidence of abundant intra-specific genetic diversity and frequent gene flow among geographic and climatic populations of these yeasts
Summary
The “Fungal Kingdom” comprises diverse groups of organisms that can be separated to different categories based on different sets of criteria. Based on their nutrient and energy sources, fungi are often classified into saprophytes, symbionts, and parasites Saprophytic fungi obtain their nutrients from dead organic matter and they play crucial roles in nutrient cycling in natural ecosystems. Some environmental yeasts are opportunistic pathogens of humans, and they pose serious threats to human health How those yeast populations are structured in natural environments remain poorly understood. There is a dearth of research on yeasts from developing countries, especially those from Africa Both culture-based and culture-independent methods have been employed to study microbial diversity in nature, including yeast diversity.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
