Growth and cell division during nitrogen starvation of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

During nitrogen starvation, cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae increased threefold in number, and little ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein were accumulated. Both RNA and protein were extensivley degraded during starvation, suggesting that intracellular macromolecules could supply most of the growth requirements. The types and proportions of stable RNA synthesized during nitrogen deprivation were characteristic of exponentially growing cells; however, the complement of proteins synthesized was different. We conclude that, once events in the deoxyribonucleic acid division cycle are initiated, cells can complete division with little dependence on continued net cell growth.