Dependence of cytoplasmic on mitochondrial protein synthesis in K. lactis CBS 2360. II. Genetic studies

A few eryR mutants independently isolated from K. lactis CBS 2360 display a conditional lethal phenotype at the temperature of 36 degrees 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.