Real-time monitoring of yeast cell division by dielectric spectroscopy

To assay cell cycle progression in synchronized culture of yeast we have applied dielectric spectroscopy to its real-time monitoring. The dielectric monitoring is based on the electromagnetic induction method, regarded as a nonelectrode method, which has resolved the problems encountered in measurements with metal electrodes, namely electrode polarization and bubble formation on electrodes. In the synchronized culture with temperature-sensitive cell division cycle mutants, the permittivity of the culture broth showed cyclic changes at frequencies below 300 kHz. The increase and decrease in the cyclic changes of the relative permittivity correspond to the increase in cell length and bud size and to the septum formation between mother and daughter cells, respectively.