Morphological and phylogenetic identification of Pichia species associated with foods in Basrah, Iraq

Abstract

Eight yeasts isolates belong to six species of Pichia were isolated from different food sources of fresh fruits, fruit juices, honey and molasses. Six species of isolates were first obtained in Iraq: Pichia kluyveri, Pichia fermentans, Pichia kudriavzevii, Pichia manshurica, Pichia membranaefaciens and Pichia sp. Which were identified by morphological and molecular methods. The later was done depending on DNA sequencing of ITS1 and ITS2 regions of yeast rDNA.