Simultaneous production of buds on mother and daughter cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the presence of hydroxyurea

Individual budding yeast cells, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, enclosedin small culture chambers were observed through two buddingcycles to examine their behavior during growth and division.In the nutrient medium (YHG medium), the duration of the buddingcycles was 77 min for mother cells and 90 min for daughter cells;a 13-min time lag between the two durations. Continuous exposureof cells to 16 or 32 mM hydroxyurea extended the duration ofthe cycles and increased the volume of the cells, resultingin the formation of abnormally large and equal-sized mother-daughterpairs. Each cell of these pairs subsequently produced buds simultaneously.Stained cell nuclei showed simultaneous nuclear division. Thissynchronous budding on mother-daughter pairs was repeated inthe next budding cycle. The coordination of growth with divisionis discussed in relation to these results. (Received August 11, 1979; )