Addition of basic amino acids prevents G-1 arrest of nitrogen-starved cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

Arginase-minus mutants of S. cerevisiae were arrested in growth and accumulated at the unbudded G-1 stage of the cell cycle when starved for N. If arginine was added to the culture medium at the time of starvation, growth ceased but the cells did not collect at the unbudded G-1 stage. Arginine addition apparently prevented the cells from collecting at the G-1 stage by starving them for histidine and lysine, thereby inhibiting synthesis of proteins needed to complete the cell cycle.