Characterization of a mutation in yeast causing nonrandom chromosome loss during mitosis.

Diploid strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae homozygous for a recessive chromosome loss mutation (chl) exhibit a high degree of mitotic instability. Cells become monosomic for chromosome III at a frequency of approximately one percent of all cell divisions. Chromosome loss at this high frequency is also found for chromosome I, and at lesser frequencies for chromosomes VIII and XVI. In contrast, little or no chromosome loss is found for six other linkage groups tested (II, V, VI, VII, XI and XVII). The chl mutation also induces a ten-fold increase in both intergenic and intragenic mitotic recombination on all ten linkage groups tested. The chl mutation does not cause an increase in spontaneous mutations, nor are mutant strains sensitive to UV or irradiation. The effects of chl during meiosis are observed primarily in reduced spore viability. A decrease in chromosome III linkage relationships is also found.