Isolation and Diversity of Unrecorded Fungal Species from the Hwangryong River, Gwangju, Korea

Fungal strains were isolated from water samples collected from the Hwangryong River in Gwangju, South Korea, to investigate freshwater fungal diversity. ITS gene sequence analysis using NCBI BLAST revealed high similarity with Geotrichum pandrosion (100%, OR122285.1), Wickerhamomyces chambardii (99.40%, NR_154969.1), and Apiotrichum coprophilum (99.58%, AB180199.1). Comparison with the National Species List of Korea indicated that these yeast species are previously unrecorded in the country. Members of the genera Geotrichum, Wickerhamomyces, and Apiotrichum are known to decompose organic matter and contribute to nutrient cycling across diverse environments, including soil, freshwater, the gastrointestinal tract, and fermentation habitats, while potentially stabilizing ecosystems through symbiotic interactions. This study provides essential baseline data for understanding the distribution and diversity of these fungal genera in Korean freshwater ecosystems.