Extrachromosomal inheritance in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. IV. Isolation and genetic characterization of mutants resistant to chloramphenicol and erythromycin using the mutator properties of mutant anar-8.

Spontaneous chloramphenicol (capr)- and erythromycin (eryr)-resistant mutants were isolated from strain ade7-50 h- and the antimycin-resistant mutant anar-8 ade 7-50 h- of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Sch. p.). By mitotic segregation analysis all 154 capr- and 120 eryr-mutants derived from ade 7-50 h- proved to be recessive chromosomal, whereas all 108 capr- and 200 eryr-mutants originating from anar-8 were extrachromosomally inherited. The rate of spontaneous capr- and eryr-mutants was about hundredfold in anar-8 compared to ade 7-50 h-. Growth of capr- and eryr-mutants was not inhibited by chloramphenicol or erythromycin, respectively, in glucose-medium and only slightly in glycerol-medium at concentrations which completely inhibited anar-8. By mitotic segregation-, tetrad-, and mitotic haploidization-analysis the extrachromosomal inheritance of mutants derived from anar-8 was established. Segregational patterns of capr- and eryr-determinants during mitosis, meiosis, and mitotic haploidization of diploids are discussed.