A Preliminary Report on a Perfect Family of Exclusively Proto-Sexual Yeasts

Abstract

CHLAMYDOZYMACEAE consists of spp. that change from haploid to diploid and return to haploid without formation of fruiting bodies, ascospores, basidiospores, or other sexual spores. This cycle constitutes protosexuality. The type genus is CHLAMYDOZYMA , with 3 spp. All are heterothallic, possess sexual agglutination and hybridize with other spp. of the genus. Protosexuality is considered to be the state of sexual reproduction possessed by the most primitive of microorganisms. The type sp., C. reukaufii , hybridizes with the type sp. of Metschnikowia. which has both protosexual and ascosporic stages. Metschnikowia is the most primitive genus of a phylogenetic line of animal and plant pathogens.