Leucosporidium Fell, Statzell, I.L: Hunter & Phaff (1969)

This chapter discusses the genus Leucosporidium. It provides a systematic discussion of the species and concludes with comments on the genus. The diagnosis of the genus is done on the basis of asexual, sexual, physiology and biochemistry, and phylogenetic placement. In asexual reproduction the yeast stage reproduces by budding. Cells are ovoid, ellipsoid, or elongate. Pseudohyphae or true hyphae may be present. Ballistoconidia are not formed. Growth on solid media is white to cream colored and often mucoid. Visible carotenoid pigments are not present. In sexual reproduction hyphae have clamp connections and form globose teliospores. Teliospores germinate to produce transversely septate basidia. Ovoid to bacilliform basidiospores are passively released and germinate by budding. Hyphal septa have "simple" septal pores, i.e., central pores with the cell wall attenuating. Colacosomes (i.e., lenticular bodies) are present. The genus Leucosporidium might be viewed as psychrotolerant as, apart from a few strains of L. scottii that grow at 30°C, all the other species are unable to grow at this temperature. The species that are more dependent on low temperatures are L. antarcticum, which is unable to grow at 18°C, and L. fasciculatum, which is unable to grow at 22°C. © 2011