Magnification of genes coding for ribosomal RNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

When a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae monosomic for chromosome I and initially deficient for 25% of the genes coding for ribosomal RNA is repeatedly subcultured, the number of these genes increases to and remains stable at the number in the wild type. This strain shows 2:2; viable: inviable first division segregation and hemizygosity for the ade1 gene (a chromosome I marker), evidence that the strain is still monosomic for chromosome I. The increase in the number of genes coding for ribosomal RNA in yeast may be analogous to the magnification of the ribosomal RNA genes in Drosophila melanogaster bobbed mutants.