Preparation and some properties of multinucleate cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae after colchicine treatment

For the purpose of forming cells possessing more than three nuclei and of d etermining the factors inducing multinucleation, cells of Saccharomyces cer evisiae were treated with 0, 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0%, [w/v] colchicine solution, with and without shaking. When the cells were treated with 1.0% [w/v] colc hicine solution, the number of cells containing two to eight nuclei was the largest. The multinucleate cells could grow on potato dextrose agar medium and their multinucleate nature did not disappear for at least three genera tions. This means that such cells an genetically stable. The proliferation rate of the multinucleate cells was not superior to that of the original st rain. However, by monitoring the weight loss of the flask, it was possible to indirectly estimate the increase in the alcohol production of the multin ucleate cell. It was concluded that the shaking treatment and higher colchi cine concentrations contributed to multinucleation.