Determinant for multiple drug resistance possessing features of a mitochondrial episome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A mutation for multiple resistance to tetracycline, cycloheximide and oligomycin appears to be followed by reconstruction of the mitochondrial genome resulting in the formation of independent nucleotide sequences that determine different resistant phenotypes. Heterozygotes for the cross resistance factor lack locus T responsible for relation tetracycline which comes from the alpha-parent. The nuclear recessive gene-suppresor i induces deletion of the whole determinant for multiple resistance. The loss of mt-DNA on ethidium bromide treatment does not lead to the loss of this determinant which remains in the cells either in an active or in a passive state.