A pectinolytic and psychrophilic yeast was isolated from soil from Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan. The phenotype and sequencing of the 28S rDNA of the isolated strain (PPY-1) indicated a taxonomic affiliation to the basidiomycetous yeast Cystofilobasidium capitatum. C capitatum strain PPY-1 was able to grow on two pectic compounds, polygalacturonate and pectin, at below 5degreesC. Moreover, the extracellular fraction of the strain exhibited pectin methylesterase, pectin lyase and polygalacturonase activities at 5degreesC. Thus strain PPY-1 may produce novel enzymes that are able to degrade pectin at low temperature, although the strain has isozymes of these enzymes.