Effects of chloramphenicol on the thermal profile of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Chloramphenicol decreased the maximum temperature for growth of a petite mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, shifted the ARRHENIUS plot of thermal death to lower temperatures and shortened correspondingly, the ARRHENIUS plot of growth, while an associative thermal profile was maintained. At saturating concentrations (about 5 mg per ml) of chloramphenicol in liquid mineral medium with vitamins and glucose the final maximum temperature for growth was depressed from about 40 degrees C to about 37 degrees C. The results suggested that chloramphenicol acted in the mutant on targets other than mitochondrial ribosomes and that these targets are identical or associated with the death and Tmax sites of the yeast.