Promotion of sporulation by caffeine pretreatment in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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Abstract
Changes in RNase activity during sporulation of a homothallic diploid strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were measured in caffeine-treated and non-treated cells. In caffeine-treated cells soon after the transfer to the sporulation medium a significant increase in RNase activity was observed; in control cells the rise of RNase activity was less and started after a lag period of 5 h. The final activity of RNase was about twice as high in caffeine-treated cells as in control cells. Increase in RNase activity during sporulation was sensitive to cycloheximide in control cells, but insensitive in caffeine-treated cells. RNases from vegetative cells and from sporulating ones are different in their K m values. Relation of the changes in RNase activity to premeiotic DNA synthesis is discussed.