Electrofusion of fragile mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

This communication presents experimental evidence that intact fragile (osmotic sensitive) yeasts can be electrofused and give viable hybrids. The yield increases with one order of magnitude for electrofusion of intact fragile yeasts with protoplasts of non-fragile ones. The yield of viable hybrids, obtained by electrofusion of protoplasts of fragile and non-fragile yeasts, is one order of magnitude higher than the yield from protoplasts of non-fragile yeasts. The destabilized cell wall and plasma membrane of the mutant yeasts could be a possible explanation for this phenomenon.