Kinetics of petite mutation and thermal death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae growing at superoptimal temperatures.

Mass formation of petite mutants took place in a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae when grown at superoptimal temperatures. After an initial period of exponential growth, a second period followed during which exponential death and net exponential petite mutation concurred with exponential growth. The specific rates of the three exponential processes were of the same order of magnitude and varied with the temperature. Net exponential petite mutation did not occur during the deathless first period of growth at superoptimal temperatures nor at any time during growth at suboptimal temperatures. Mitochondria are discussed as possible targets of thermal death in mesophilic yeasts.