A comparison of the effects of chromate, molybdate and cadmium oxide on respiration in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on non-fermentable medium was more sensitive to inhibition by chromate than growth on fermentable medium. Chromate was selectively toxic against oxygen uptake in cells grown in non-fermentable medium and also induced petite mutations. CdO demonstrated similar but lesser effects on growth and respiration. However, molybdate had little toxicity to yeast non-fermentable growth and stimulated oxygen uptake in cells grown in fermentable and non-fermentable media. These results suggest that chromate, a carcinogen, may act more directly against the mitochondria of S. cerevisiae than related chemical species, CdO and molybdate.