The effect of 5-fluorouracil on cells and regenerating protoplasts ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

The regeneration of the yeast cell-wall was studied using 5-fluorouracil and yeast protoplasts. Protein synthesis in yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was kept reduced in the presence of this inhibitor at a rate corresponding to that before inhibition and was independent on the concentration of the inhibitor (10 or 100 μg/ml). The inhibition of the RNA synthesis was incomplete and dependent on the concentration of the inhibitor. Synthesis of thymidine and DNA was not inhibited as indicated by the growth tests. On the basis of the obtained data it may be concluded that fluorouracil inhibits only thede novo and the induced protein synthesis while permitting protein synthesis that has already been started before inhibition. Fluorouracil was then applied during the regeneration of yeast protoplasts. The results obtained have shown that fluorouracil does not inhibit the synthesis of the yeast cell wall but that the normal course of cell division is impaired by fluorouracil. The low efficiency of the fluorouracil inhibition of the cell wall synthesis indicates that processes leading to the regeneration of the cell wall are in fact only a continuation of those taking place under normal growth conditions.