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 5 degrees C. Moreover, the extracellular fraction of the strain exhibited pectin methylesterase, pectin lyase and polygalacturonase activities at 5 degrees C. 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.