Mutants of the killer plasmid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae dependent on chromosomal diploidy for expression and maintenance.

Mutants of the killer plasmid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been isolated that depend upon chromosomal diploidy for the expression of plasmid functions and for replication or maintenance of the plasmid itself. These mutants are not defective in any chromosomal gene needed for expression or replication of the killer plasmid.--Haploids carrying these mutant plasmids (called d for diploid-depen;ent) are either unable to kill or unable to resist being killed or both and show frequent loss of the plasmid. The wild-type phenotype (K+R+) is restored by mating the d plasmid-carrying strain with either (a) a wild-type sensitive strain which apparently has no killer plasmid; (b) a strain which has been cured of the killer plasmid by growth at elevated temperature; (c) a strain which has been cured of the plasmid by growth in the presence of cycloheximide; (d) a strain which has lost the plasmid because it carries a mutation in a chromosomal mak gene; or (e) a strain of the opposite mating type which carries the same d plasmid and has the same defective phenotype, indicating that the restoration of the normal phenotype is not due to recombination between plasmid genomes or complementation of plasmid or chromosomal genes.--Sporulation of the phenotypically K+R+ diploids formed in matings between d and wild-type nonkiller strains yields tetrads, all four of whose haploid spores are defective for killing or resistance or maintenance of the plasmid or a combination of these. Every defective phenotype may be found among the segregants of a single diploid clone carrying a d plasmid. These defective segregants resume the normal killer phenotype in the diploids formed when a second round of mating is performed, and the segregants from a second round of meiosis and sporulation are again defective.