Summary
The protoplast fusion technique provides a useful method for improving industrial yeasts and agglutinant agents like polyethylene glycol (PEG) MW 4000 and Ca++ ions are widely used to stimulate the fusion process. Commercial Baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces diastaticus were selected as parental strains for somatic fusion. The Saccharomyces diastaticus carried a spontaneous petite mutation and could not metabolize starch unlike respiratory competent Saccharomyces diastaticus from which it was derived, that readily could.
A medium containing soluble starch as a carbon source and 3 % agar was used as fusion products selection medium. Respiratory competent fusion products were capable of using dextrins and starch as carbon sources.
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de Figueroa, L.I., de Richard, M.F. & de van Broock, M.R. Interspecific protoplast fusion of the Baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces diastaticus . Biotechnol Lett 6, 269–274 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00140049
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00140049