Mycopathologia149: 157–158, 2000. 157

Book review

The Yeasts, A Taxonomic Study,fourth edition, byC.P. Kurtzman and J.W. Fell, 1998, Elsevier, NewYork, 1055 pp. Price $460.

The editors of the current edition ofThe Yeasts, ATaxonomic Study, Cletus Kurtzman and Jack Fell, areheirs to a tradition begun in 1952 when J. Lodderand N.J.W. Kreger-van Rij edited the first edition.Thirty-six specialists active in the study of yeasts andyeast-like organisms participated in the preparation ofthe current volume, a fact belied by the careful editingand adherence to a uniform format. Because yeasts areimportant fungi in ecological associations, biotechno-logy, industry, and medicine, as well as serving asmodel organisms in molecular biology, this updatedwork has been welcomed after sixteen years. On occa-sion the short print runs, have made the book difficultto obtain from the publisher, but it continues to be re-printed. The price may put the volume out of the reachof many individuals, but at less than 50 cents a page,it is a bargain to those who study yeasts.

The first tenth (107 pages) of the book providessuccinct discussions and references on many aspectsof the biology of yeasts (e.g., human pathogens, in-dustrial and agricultural uses, ecology). In addition,this section serves as a “how to” manual with the de-scription of all the standard methods used in the studyof yeasts (e.g., isolation, culture, maintenance, coen-zyme Q and carbohydrate assays, several DNA andprotein methods, and rules of nomenclature applied ininterpreting names and describing new species).

The previous edition (1984) covered 500 speciesplaced in 60 genera, while the present edition dis-cusses about 700 species in 100 genera. The majordifference between the two editions, however, is notsimply the addition of taxa, but the incorporation oftaxonomic material within the developing frameworkof a natural classification. The development of theclassification, led by the editors during the prepara-tions for the book, is based largely on phylogeneticanalyses of nuclear encoded large subunit ribosomal

DNA sequences. They suggest the use of molecularmethods not only for phylogenetic purposes, but alsoas a means of rapid identification of strains.

The fungi covered in this volume are taxonomic-ally diverse, encompassing two phyla, Ascomycotaand Basidiomycota, and many higher taxa within thephyla. The ascomycete groups covered include (1)the basal ascomycetes (archiascomycetes) (Schizosac-charomyces, Protomyces, Saitoella), (2) the “true”yeasts (Saccharomycetales) that lack ascomata butmay produce hyphae, and (3) some dimorphic oryeast-like euascomycete anamorphs that reproduce ve-getatively by cell budding or fission and often areconfused with yeasts. The especially broad cover-age of basidiomycetes that produce yeast stages in-cludes smuts (Ustilaginales) and some relatives ofmushrooms, smuts, and rust fungi (e.g., Tremellales,Exobasidales, Septobasidiales, Atractiellales).

The bulk of the book comprises definitive descrip-tions of genera and species listed alphabetically bygenus in four groupings: teleomorphic ascomycetes,anamorphic ascomycetes, teleomorphic basidiomy-cetes, and anamorphic basidiomycetes. A classifica-tion of the yeasts of each of the two phyla includes asynopsis of genera with diagnostic morphological andphysiological characters and a key based on morpho-logical and habitat characters. Detailed descriptions ofthe genera and species in each section include a genusdiagnosis and indication of species type, a key to thespecies, and a detailed systematic discussion of eachspecies. Features of the species descriptions includea list of the standard growth characteristics in liquidand agar cultures, the results of assimilation and fer-mentation tests, source and identification numbers ofex-type strains and other strains available in culturecollections. It is this detailed part of the book that isinvaluable to those who need to identify the yeasts anddetermine their physiological attributes.

The book closes with a key to readily culturedspecies based on physiology, and a table summariz-ing the assimilation reactions of all genera. The 38

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pages of indices to the taxa, including genera and spe-cies indices, offer easy access to all scientific names.The glossary provides an entree to the specializedyeast vocabulary, and over 60 pages of consolidatedreferences lead one to the primary literature.

This volume is an essential reference to any seriousstudent of yeasts and yeast-like fungi. Moreover, thethick volume with information for isolation, growth,and identification makes yeasts accessible to virtuallyanyone, including beginners who have little experi-ence with them. An electronic version of the volumewould be welcomed by many who could put it to even

better use by searching out components not easily ac-cessible in the hard copy. For example searches couldyield lists of all yeasts that might require a particularsubstrate, whereas others could be performed to makeuse of unique features as in synoptic keys.

Meredith BlackwellBoyd Professor

Department of Biological Sciences,Louisiana State University,

Baton Rouge,Louisiana