Fungalpedia – Note 3294, Lipomycetes
Lipomycetes M. Groenew., Hittinger, Opulente & A. Rokas, Stud. Mycol. 105: 10 (2023).
Citation when using this data: Wijayawardene NN et al. 2024 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1g.
Classification: Saccharomycotina, Ascomycota, Dikarya, Fungi.
Notes: The class Lipomycetes in the subphylum Saccharomycotina was introduced by Groenewald et al. (2023) based on genomic data and diagnosed with class-specific orthologous groups of proteins (OGs). For more details, see the entry Saccharomycetes. Currently, Lipomyces and its anamorphic counterpart Myxozyma, Babjevia, Dipodascopsis and Kockiozyma are assigned to a single order and single family within the class (Groenewald et al. 2023). Based on their multigene phylogenetic analyses, Kurtzman et al. (2007) reassigned the species of Kawasakia, Smithiozyma, Waltomyces and Zygozyma to the genus Lipomyces and transferred Babjevia anomala, the single species in the genus, to Dipodascopsis. The genus Lipomyces was interpreted in a narrower sense by Jindamorakot et al. (2011, 2012) and they proposed novel monotypic genera, Limtongia and Kockiozyma for Lipomyces (Zygozyma) smithiae and Lipomyces (Zygozyma) suomiensis, respectively. Yamazaki et al. (2020) used multigene studies to investigate the relationships among lipomycetaceous yeasts and included in their analysis 14 undescribed species isolated from soil. They reinstated the genus Babjevia and described two novel Babjevia species. In addition, they described twelve anamorphic Lipomyces species. Lipomyces starkeyi was regarded as a species that can be used in biotechnology (McNeil and Stuart 2018).
Type order: Lipomycetales M. Groenew., Hittinger, Opulente & A. Rokas, Stud. Mycol. 105: 11 (2023).
Type family: Lipomycetaceae E.K. Novák & Zsolt, Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 7: 97. (1961).
Type genus: Lipomyces Lodder & Kreger-van Rij, The Yeasts: A Taxonomic Study: 669. (1952).
Type species: Lipomyces starkeyi Lodder & Kreger-van Rij, The Yeasts: A Taxonomic Study: 669. (1952).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Lipomycetes.
Figure 1 – Microscopic features of taxa in Saccharomycotina. a Septate non-sporulating hyphae and pseudohyphae of Alloascoidea hylecoeti (Alloascoideaceae, Alloascoideales, Alloascoideomycetes). b-d Alloascoidea africana (Alloascoideaceae, Alloascoideales, Alloascoideomycetes) asci with ascospores and released ascospores (indicated with arrows). e,f Dipodascus albidus (Dipodascaceae, Dipodascales, Dipodascomycetes). e. Ascospores within hyphae and released ascospores. f Hyphae, arthroconidia and ascospores (indicated by arrow). g Lipomyces starkeyi (Lipomycetaceae, Lipomycetales, Lipomycetes) conjugation between a cell and its bud, ascus with ellipsoidal ascospores (indicated by arrows). h-j Pichia membranifaciens (Pichiaceae, Pichiales, Pichiomycetes) budding cells and asci with hat-shaped ascospores (indicated by arrows). k Pachysolen tannophilus (Pachysolenaceae, Alaninales, Pichiomycetes) budding cells, ascus with ascospores and liberated ascospores (indicated by arrow). l,m Metschnikowia bicuspidata (Metschnikowiaceae, Serinales, Pichiomycetes). (l) M. bucuspidata var. californica budding cells and needle-shaped ascospores. (m) M. bucuspidata var. chathamia budding cells and needle-shaped ascospores. n Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Saccharomycetaceae, Saccharomycetales, Saccharomycetes) budding cells and unconjugated, persistent ascus with globose ascospores (indicated by arrow). o, p Phaffomyces opuntiae (Phaffomycetaceae, Phaffomycetales, Saccharomycetes). (o) Budding cells and asci with hat-shaped ascospores (indicated by arrows). (p) Budding cells in short chains and asci with hat-shaped ascospores (indicated by arrows). q Saccharomycodes ludwigii (Saccharomycodaceae, Saccharomycodales, Saccharomycetes) bipolar cell division of budding cells and asci with spherical ascospores (indicated by arrows). r-t Ascoidea rubescens (Ascoideaceae, Ascoideales, Saccharomycetes). (r) Asexual cells and cluster of ascospores (indicated by arrow) (s) Asexual cells and septate hyphae, (t) Ascus with spores in different states of nascendi. u Sporopachydermia lactativora (Sporopachydermiaceae, Sporopachydermiales, Sporopachydermiomycetes) budding cells. v Trigonopsis variabilis (Trigonopsidaceae, Trigonopsidales, Trigonopsidomycetes). Budding cells with ellipsoidal and triangular morphology. Triangular cells produce ellipsoidal and triangular buds. Scale bar: a = 5μm, b-q, u,v = 10μm, r-t =30μm.
References
Entry by
Nalin N. Wijayawardene, Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan 655011, P.R. China, Tropical Microbiology Research Foundation, 96/N/10, Meemanagoda Road, 10230 Pannipitiya, Sri Lanka, Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University, Sri Lanka
Published online 25 September 2026