ETHIDIUM BROMIDE RESISTANCE AND PETITE INDUCTION IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

Abstract

Six ethidium bromide (EB) resistant mutants were isolated and characterized. The resistance in three isolates was stable, nuclearly inherited and sensitive to glucose repression. Unstable EB dependent resistance was present in the other isolates. The mutants with stable and one of those with unstable EB resistance showed cross resistance to the cationic detergent, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Both anaerobiosis and oligomycin inhibited EB induction of petites in the EB sensitive strain and in the EB-sensitized resistant strains. The observations are discussed in relationship to a mechanism of EB resistance and petite induction at the level of the mitochondrial membrane.