Summary
Growth of a green streptomycin-resistant strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardi on a sub-lethal concentration of streptomycin on agar led to the appearance of yellow mutant cells in almost every colony. The time of appearance of the mutants varied greatly among the 9 isolates studied, each of which was selected as a single colony after repeated cloning of the parental strain. 2 isolates gave rise to colonies which responded rapidly to streptomycin (class I), 2 isolates produced yellow sub-clones as papillae only after formation of normal green colonies (class II), and 2 isolates produced stable yellow sub-clones only after a second subculture on streptomycin-agar (class III). 3 isolates were mixtures of classes II and III.
The evidence that these yellow mutants arose under the mutagenic action of streptomycin is discussed in relation to the alternative possibility of their selection by the drug from a pool of pre-existing mutants. The physiological and genetic effects of streptomycin upon chlorophyll formation in Chlamydomonas are compared with reported effects of the drug upon the green flagellate, Euglena gracilis.
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Dedicated with appreciation and affection to Professor Dr. E. G. Pringsheim on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
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Sager, R., Tsubo, Y. Mutagenic effects of streptomycin in chlamydomonas. Archiv. Mikrobiol. 42, 159–175 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408172
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408172