Promotion of sporulation by caffeine pretreatment in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I. Metabolism of nucleic acids and protein during sporulation.

Cells cultured in the presence of caffeine had high sporulation ability. The sporulation-promotive effect of caffeine was studied, special attention being paid upon changes in nucleic acid metabolism. When transferred to a sporulation medium, the breakdown of RNA, the synthesis of protein, RNA and DNA, commitment to sporulation and the appearance of mature asci took place in caffeine-treated cells significantly earlier than in control cells. Commitment to sporulation occurred before the completion of premeiotic DNA synthesis in both caffeine-treated and control cells.