EFFECTS OF PHLEOMYCIN-INDUCED DNA-DAMAGE ON THE FISSION YEAST SCHIZOSACCHAROMYCES-POMBE CELL-CYCLE

The effect of phleomycin, a bleomycin-like antibiotic, has been invest igated in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We report that in response to phleomycin-induced DNA damage, growth was inhibited an d S. pombe cells arrested in the G2-phase of the cell cycle. DNA repai r mutants rad9 and rad17 did not arrest and were hypersensitive to phl eomycin. Cell cycle mutants that entered mitosis without monitoring th e completion of DNA replication also displayed an increased sensitivit y to this DNA-damaging agent. Thus, phleomycin could be used as a tool in the fission yeast S. pombe model system for the study of DNA damag e and cell cycle checkpoints, or as a new selective agent.