Occurrence of Psychrophilomyces antarcticus in the Arctic

The fungus Psychrophilomyces antarcticus M.M. Wang & Xing Z. Liu, previously known only from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Antarctica, was isolated in the Arctic from sediments on the littoral of the Kara Sea (Shokalsky Island) and represented by strains VKM F-5025/CBS 151455 and VKM F-5026/CBS 151456. The macro- and micro-morphology of the isolate was studied together with partial sequences of the DNA regions ITS, LSU, TEF1, and β-TUB, as well as the optimal values for temperature, pH and salinity. Slight differences between our two isolates and previously known strains of P. antarcticus were found in morphology (colony color and shape, size of phialides and spores) and physiological traits (optimal growth temperature, range of acceptable temperature and pH values for growth, colony odor, and degree of mucosity under extreme conditions). However, the high similarity in the sequenced conservative DNA sequences from 100 to 97% indicates that these slight morphological and physiological variations of the studied strains of P. antarcticus are intraspecific variation. Our study demonstrates that P. antarcticus is a cold-adapted poly-extreme tolerant species that can occur and function in extremely cold areas, such as high alpine, Antarctic, and Arctic regions.