A Remarkable Fission Yeast, Schizosaccharomyces versatilis NOV. SP

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Abstract
S. versatilis was isolated from fermenting home-canned grape juice made from Michigan grapes. This yeast has anaerobic tendencies with consequent poor growth on the surface of agar media but good growth at the bottom of liquid media. Colonies on agar frequently send filamentous cells down into the agar. These cells may reach a length of 800 [mu], each with a single, visible nucleus that may have a diam. as large as 10 [mu]. This filamentous nature is suggestive of the genus Endomyces, but asci in S. versatilis are not formed on branches of the hyphae, as characterizes Endomyces. Eight-spored asci are formed readily by isogamic conjugation of vegetative yeast cells. The ascospores are reniform, have starch in their walls, and germinate simply by swelling to the size of the vegetative cell S. versatilis causes a strong fermentation of glucose, maltose, sucrose, raffinose, and melibiose; galactose and lactose are not fermented. The maltase is of the Schizosaccharomyces type. An agglutinative form of this yeast was obtained which grows in liquid culture in the form of pellets of such consistency that they may be removed from the medium by screening with a fine wire mesh. This characteristic might make this form of value in the food yeast industry.

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