Skip to main content
Log in

Biodiversity of yeasts isolated from the indigenous forest of Argan (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) in Morocco

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study we have isolated and characterized yeasts from the soil, leaves and fruits of the indigenous Moroccan Argan tree (Argania spinosa) in two locations: the coastal city of Essaouira and a drier, more stressed environment in Taroudant city. Factorial and classification analyses of the metabolic profiles showed that the yeasts from the soil and those from the fruit seemed to form distinctive groups while those from the leaves were common to the two groups. Associating the profiles with yeast species, the soil isolates seemed to be dominated by profiles associated with basidiomycetous yeasts (Bullera variabilis, association to Filobasidium capsuligenum, and Rhodotorula glutinis) while those of the fruits were associated with ascomycetous yeasts (Pichia angusta and Zygoascus hellenicus). Most profile groups were shared between the leaves and one of the other biotopes owing to the semi-deciduous character of the Argan leaves that dominate in the rhizospheric soil and to the fibrous and low flesh fruits of Argan. Although most metabolic profile groups were represented in both sampling locations, certain groups were encountered only in Taroudant samples among which a group of four yeasts that grew at 44 °C. The Taroudant samples also presented the two most osmo-tolerant yeasts capable of growing at 15% NaCl and 125% sucrose. Some of the yeast strains showed very promising activities of polygalacturonase (0.40 units/g protein) without any pectinesterase activity while others strongly inhibited the gray rot mould Botrytis cinerea, and could be good candidates for the post-harvest control of this mould on fruits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abranches J, Starmer WT, Hagler AN (2001) Yeast–yeast interactions in guava and Tomato fruits. Microbial Ecol 42:186–192

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Andrews JH, Kinkrl L, Berbee F, Nordheim E (1987) Fungi leaves and the theory of Island Biogeography. Microbial Ecol 14:277–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett JA, Payne R, Yarrow D (2000) Yeasts, characteristics and identification, 3rd edn. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanco P, Carmen S, Tomas G (1999) Production of pectic enzymes in yeasts. FEMS Microbiol Lett 175:1–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brysch-Herzberg M (2004) Ecology of yeast in plant–bumblebee mutualism in Central Europe. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 50:87–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Butinar L, Santos S, Spencer-Martins I, Oren A, Gunde-Cimerman N (2005) Yeast diversity in hypersaline habitats. FEMS Microbiol Lett 244:229–234

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cruz-Guerrero A, Barzana E, Garcıa-Garibay M, Gomez-Ruiz L (1999) Dissolved oxygen threshold for the repression of endo-polygalacturonase production by Kluyveromyces marxianus. Process Biochem 34:621–624

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Inàcio J, Pereira P, de Carvalho M, Amaral-Collaço MT, Spencer-Martins I (2002) Estimation and diversity of phylloplane Mycobiota on selected plants in a Mediterranean-type ecosystem in Portugal. Microbial Ecol 44:344–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inàcio J, Rodrigues M, Sobral P, Foseca À (2004) Characterization and classification of the phylloplane yeasts from Portugal related to the genus Taphrina and description of five novel Lalaria species. FEMS Yeast Res 4:541–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jager ES, Wehner FC, Korsten L (2001) Microbial ecology of the mango phylloplane. Microbial Ecol 42:201–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Janisievicz WJ, Korsten L (2002) Biological control of postharvest diseases of fruits. Phytopathology 40:411–441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kurtzman CP, Fell WJ (1998) The yeasts, a taxonomic study, 4th edn. Elsevier

  • Lachance A, Starmer T, Rosa C, Bowles J, Stuart J, Barker F, Janzen D (2000) Biogeography of the yeasts of ephemeral flowers and their insects. FEMS Yeast Res 1401:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Lachance A, Klemens J, Bowles J, Janzen D (2001) The yeast community of sap fluxes of Costa Rican Maclura (Chlorophora) tinctoria and description of two new yeast species, Candida galis and Candida ortonii. FEMS Yeast Res 1:87–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lahav R, Fareleira P, Nejidat A, Abeliovich A (2002) The identification and characterization of osmo-tolerant yeast isolates from chemical wastewater evaporation ponds. Microbial Ecol 44:344–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Las Heras-Vazquez F, Mingorance-Cazorla L, Clemente-Jimenez J, Rodriguez-Vico F (2003) Identification of yeast species from orange fruit and juice by RFLP and sequence analysis of the 5.8S rRNA gene and the two internal transcribed spacers. FEMS Yeast Res 3:3–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mc Cormack P, Wildman H, Jeffries O (1995) The influence of moisture on the suppression of Pseudomonas syringae by Aureobasidium pullulans on an artificial leaf surface. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 16:159–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Middelhoven WJ (1997) Identity and biodegradative abilities of yeast isolated from plants growing in an arid climate. Anton Van Leeuw 72:81–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morais PB, Martins BM, Klaczko LB, Mendonça-Hagler LC, Hagler AN (1995) Yeast succession in the Amazon fruit Parahancornia amapa as resource partitioning among Drosophila spp. Appl Environ Microbiol 6(12):4251–4257

    Google Scholar 

  • Postmaster A, Sivithamparan K, Turner D (1997) Enumeration and identity of microorganisms isolated from the surface of banana fruits at three developmental stages. Sci Horticult 69:189–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sree N, Sridhar M, Suresh K, Banat IM, Venkateswar Rao L (2000) Isolation of thermotolerant, osmotolerant, flocculating Saccharomyces cerevisiae for ethanol production. Bioresource Technol 72:43–46

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang QM, Bai FY (2004) Four yeast species of the genus Sporobolomyces from plant leaves. FEMS Yeast Res 4:579–586

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson SC, Anderson JM (2001) Spatial patterns of soil microbial communities in a Norway spruce (Picea abies) plantation. Microbial Ecol 42:248–255

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the NATO Grant LST.CLG.978577.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abdellatif Boussaid.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ahansal, L., Ben Sassi, A., Martini, A. et al. Biodiversity of yeasts isolated from the indigenous forest of Argan (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) in Morocco. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 24, 777–782 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-007-9532-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-007-9532-2

Keywords

Navigation