Genetically Active Chemicals Using Various Yeast Systems

Detection of Genetically Active Chemicals Using Various Yeast Systems 

Brooklyn College of The City University of New York Brooklyn, New York 

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE YEASTS USED IN GENETIC RESEARCH 

Most work in yeast genetics has been performed with two species, Sac-char omyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. For a detailed description of the respective life cycles, see Mortimer and Manney in Volume 1 of this series. It must be pointed out that both organisms can be cultivated as haploids and, in the case of Sacch. cerevisiae, in stable diploid forms as well. Since there are a great variety of yeasts of the Saccharomyces type which do not behave in this ideal way, all genetic experiments should be performed with strains currently used by yeast geneticists. Such strains are physiologically dioecious (see Esser 2) for definition of this term), whereas many strains isolated from nature are self-compatible and haploid cells fuse uncontrollably to form diploids. Typically, Saccharomyces strains 

Due to the wide spread use of Sacch. cerevisiae and the author s familiarity with this organism, this chapter will largely deal with this yeast rather than with Schiz. pombe. 

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ZIMMERMAN, F. K. Detection of Genetically Active Chemicals Using Various Yeast Systems , ibid., p. 209. 

Zimmerman, F.K., "Detection of Genetically Active Chemicals Using Various Yeast Systems", In "Chemical Mutagens Principles and Methods for Their Detection", vol. 3, Hollaender, A., ed., pp. 209-239, Plenum Press,... 

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