Rhodotorula

''Rhodotorula'' is a genus of pigmented yeasts, part of the division Basidiomycota. It is readily identifiable by distinctive orange/red colonies when grown on Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA). This distinctive color is the result of pigments that the yeast creates to block out certain wavelengths of light (620–750 nm) that would otherwise be damaging to the cell.

Habitat

''Rhodotorula'' is a common environmental inhabitant. It can be cultured from soil, water, milk, fruit juice, and air samples. It is able to scavenge nitrogenous compounds from its environment remarkably well, growing even in air that has been carefully cleaned of any fixed nitrogen contaminants. In such conditions, the nitrogen content of the dry weight of ''Rhodotorula'' can drop as low as 1%, compared to around 14% for most bacteria growing in normal conditions.

Pathology

Only ''Rhodotorula mucilaginosa'', ''R. glutinis'', and ''R. minuta'' have been known to cause disease in humans. There were no reported cases of ''Rhodotorula'' infections before 1985. There were however forty-three reported cases of ''Rhodotorula'' bloodstream infections (BSIs) between 1960 and 2000. ''Rhodotorula'' is most commonly found in patients who are immunosuppressed and/or are using foreign-body technology such as central venous catheters. ''Rhodotorula'' is commonly treated by removing the catheter and the use of anti-fungals. ''Rhodotorula'' is susceptible to amphotericin B and flucytosine.

''Rhodotorula'' can also cause infections in animals. There have been reports of skin infections in chickens and sea animals and lung infections and otitis in sheep and cattle.

Potential in bioremediation

One area in which ''Rhodotorula'' species may become of importance is in bioremediation, especially of contaminated water sites. As with bacteria, fungi can naturally develop modified metabolism to deal with environmental contaminants, and could then be used in bioremediation. One main target is often polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) since they often persist in the environment and have high levels of toxicity. Through sediment analysis and testing of contaminated waters ''Rhodotorula'' were found to be common in contaminated sites. It was noted in samples taken from contaminated waters that ''Rhodotorula'' species had the ability to degrade petroleum compounds. These studies as well as others suggest that ''Rhodotorula'' species may be good candidates for bioremediation of polluted waters for PAHs. In more directed studies a number of species of ''Rhodotorula'' were found to be able to degrade a number of specific contaminants. For example, ''R. glutinis'' and ''R. rubra'' have both been found to have a high ability to degrade phenanthrene, while ''R. minuta'' has been found to degrade benzo(a)anthracene. In a mixed fungal community ''Rhodotorula'' species contributed to effective degradation of low molecular weight PAHs, and although bacterial communities alone were not able to, the fungal communities also degraded high molecular weight PAHs (more than 3 benzene rings) such as chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene. A strain of ''R. taiwanensis'' was shown to grow at constant gamma radiation 66 Gy/h at pH 2.3 and in the presence of high concentrations of mercury and chromium compounds, and forming biofilms under high-level chronic radiation and low pH, making it a promising candidate for bioremediation of acidic radioactive waste sites.

Species

*''Rhodotorula acheniorum''
*''Rhodotorula acuta''
*''Rhodotorula araucariae''
*''Rhodotorula armeniaca''
*''Rhodotorula aurantiaca''
*''Rhodotorula auriculariae''
*''Rhodotorula bacarum''
*''Rhodotorula benthica''
*''Rhodotorula biourgei''
*''Rhodotorula bogoriensis''
*'' Rhodotorula bronchialis''
*'' Rhodotorula buffonii''
*''Rhodotorula calyptogenae''
*'' Rhodotorula cladiensis''
*'' Rhodotorula cresolica''
*'' Rhodotorula crocea''
*'' Rhodotorula cycloclastica''
*'' Rhodotorula dairenensis''
*'' Rhodotorula evergladiensis''
*'' Rhodotorula ferulica''
*'' Rhodotorula foliorum''
*'' Rhodotorula fragaria''
*''Rhodotorula fujisanensis''
*'' Rhodotorula futronensis''
*''Rhodotorula gelatinosa''
*'' Rhodotorula glacialis''
*''Rhodotorula glutinis''
*'' Rhodotorula gracilis''
*'' Rhodotorula graminis''
*'' Rhodotorula grinbergsii''
*'' Rhodotorula himalayensis''
*'' Rhodotorula hinnulea''
*'' Rhodotorula histolytica''
*'' Rhodotorula hylophila''
*'' Rhodotorula incarnata''
*'' Rhodotorula ingeniosa''
*'' Rhodotorula javanica''
*'' Rhodotorula koishikawensis''
*'' Rhodotorula lactosa''
*'' Rhodotorula lamellibrachiae''
*'' Rhodotorula laryngis''
*'' Rhodotorula lignophila''
*'' Rhodotorula lini''
*'' Rhodotorula longissima''
*'' Rhodotorula ludwigii''
*'' Rhodotorula lysinophila''
*'' Rhodotorula marina''
*'' Rhodotorula matritensis''
*''Rhodotorula meli''
*'' Rhodotorula minuta''
*''Rhodotorula mucilaginosa''
*'' Rhodotorula nitens''
*'' Rhodotorula nothofagi''
*'' Rhodotorula oryzae''
*'' Rhodotorula pacifica''
*'' Rhodotorula pallida''
*'' Rhodotorula philyla''
*'' Rhodotorula pilimanae''
*'' Rhodotorula pinicola''
*'' Rhodotorula psychrophenolica''
*'' Rhodotorula psychrophila''
*'' Rhodotorula pustula''
*'' Rhodotorula retinophila''
*'' Rhodotorula rosulata''
*''Rhodotorula rubra''
*'' Rhodotorula rubrorugosa''
*'' Rhodotorula silvestris''
*'' Rhodotorula sinensis''
*'' Rhodotorula slooffiae''
*'' Rhodotorula sonckii''
*'' Rhodotorula straminea''
*'' Rhodotorula subericola''
*''Rhodotorula terpenoidalis''
*'' Rhodotorula terrea''
*'' Rhodotorula tokyoensis''
*'' Rhodotorula ulzamae''
*'' Rhodotorula vanillica''
*''Rhodotorula vuilleminii''
*'' Rhodotorula yarrowii''
*'' Rhodotorula yunnanensis''
*'' Rhodotorula zsoltii''

References

External links

''Rhodotorula'' at the Dr. Fungus Website

{{Taxonbar, from=Q618432

Basidiomycota genera
Teliomycotina
Yeasts