Auxin-induced heritable variants in yeast with special reference to physiological and genetic characters

A high concentration (400 mg/l) of an auxin, -naphthaleneaceticacid produced heritable variants differing in cell form andsize and in sporulation ability in a diploid strain of Saccharomycescerevisiae. These variants showed altered absorption spectrain the region of cytochromes a + a₃, b and/or c, but could growin a glycerol medium. Cultures of dissected spores from thesevariants involved many non-maters. These variants showed irregularsegregation of nutritional markers and/or a high DNA contentper cell. Since most of the variants grow more slowly on anauxin medium than does the original strain, they seem to beproduced by the induction by auxin rather than by selectiveenrichment. Genetic control of the ability to respond to auxinand the biological significance of auxin-induced variation inyeast is discussed. (Received January 12, 1968; )