Dependence of cytoplasmic on mitochondrial protein synthesis inK. lactis CBS 2360

Abstract
A fewery R mutants independently isolated fromK. lactis CBS 2360 display a conditional lethal phenotype at the temperature of 36° C. In addition to drug resistance, also conditional lethality shows a non-Mendelian pattern of inheritance and is affected by exposure of the cells to Ethidium Bromide, indicating that in this yeast mitochondrial DNA controls cell viability. The results obtained from biochemical analysis suggest that the cellular functions in which are involved the gene products of the mitochondrial mutants analized are cytoplasmic protein and RNA syntheses.