A cytoplasmic gene for partial suppression of a nuclear pleiotropic respiratory deficient mutant in the petite negative yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The nuclear pleiotropic respiratory-deficient mutant pet1 (previously M126) exhibits cytochromes aa3 and b deficiencies accompanied by loss of the oligomycin-sensitivity of the mitochondrial ATPase. The mutant pet1, unable to grow on glycerol, growth on glucose. The latter phenotypic trait symbolized by ANAS-D, exhibits a high frequency (2 to 4 X 10(5)) Of spontaneous suppression into Antimycin A-resistant strains. Mutagenesis with MnCl2 increases by a factor of 10(2) the frequency of ANAR-D derivatives. This suppression is partial since none of the suppressed strains is able to grow on glycerol even when respiratory functions and cytochromes activities are restored as in the pet1 [SUP2] strain. In the latter strain it is concluded that the extralocus suppressor gene [SUP2] is responsible for the ANAR-D trait. Tetrad analysis in a cross homozygous for pet1 demonstrates a non-Mendelian segregation pattern for the SUP2 suppressor gene. In stable diploids, homozygous for pet1, the [SUP2] suppressor exhibits a mitotic segregation pattern. Furthermore the transmission of the [SUP2] gene is decreased by ethidium bromide treatment. Therefore, the [SUP2] suppressor gene responsible for partial suppression of the nuclear pleiotropic phenotype in mutant pet1 is of cytoplasmic heredity.