NEW YEASTS CAPABLE OF ASSIMILATING METHANOL

Twenty strains of methanol strongly assimilating yeasts were isolated from rotten tomato and a flower of azalea through investigations on the single- cell protein production and on the microbial utilization of C1 compound. Taxonomic studies indicated that these yeasts were limited to certain species of Candida and Torulopsis, including two new species; C. methanolica OKI et KOUNO sp. nov. and T. methanolovescens OKI et KOUNO sp. nov. One hundred and ninety-one strains of yeasts obtained from type culture collections did not exhibit methanol assimilability at all.