Studies on the vegetative life cycle of Chlamydomonas reinhardi Dangeard in synchronous culture V. The transition point for the effect of 6-methyl purine in the cell cycle

By following the nuclear division, chloroplast division, cytokinesisand zoospore liberation of Chlamydomonas reinhardi cells exposedto a high concentration of 6-methyl purine (6-MP), corroborativeevidence was obtained for our previous conclusion that 6-MP-exposedcells are brought to the starting point of a new round of thecell cycle with abortion of the cycle in process ("return-to-start"effect). This effect did not occur after cells had passed acritical stage (transition point) which seemed to be situatedshortly prior to the onset of nuclear division under the conditionsused. When 6-MP was applied to cells after the transition point,it caused an advancing effect on their zoospore liberation.A cycloheximide (CHI)-inhibition step existed shortly alterthe transition point for 6-MP. A model was proposed for theeffects of 6-MP and CHI. (Received August 8, 1977; )