The effect of temperature on the growth ofCandida saké isolated from the leaves of a subantarctic grass

Abstract

During a survey of microfungi on the subantarctic island of South Georgia, large numbers of phylloplane yeasts were isolated in late spring from leaves of a tussock grass. The dominant yeast was identified asCandida saké, this being the first record for the Antarctic region. Isolates in liquid culture had a temperature optimum for growth of 20–25°C. It was capable of assimilation of a range of simple carbohydrates, similar to those found in leachates from new leaves of the tussock grass. The seasonal decline of yeasts on the phylloplane is discussed in terms of the availability of leachate and the growth of filamentous microfungi on new leaves.