Genetics. Published Articles Ahead of Print: July 2, 2006, Copyright © 2006
doi:10.1534/genetics.106.059311


A more recent version of this article appeared on September 1, 2006.

NOTE

Accumulation of recessive lethal mutations in S. cerevisiae mlh1 mismatch repair mutants is not associated with gross chromosomal rearrangements

Julie Heck 1, David Gresham 2, David Botstein 2 and Eric Alani 1*

1 Cornell University
2 Princeton University

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: eea3{at}cornell.edu.

Submitted on April 12, 2006
Revised on April 26, 2006
Accepted on 30 June 2006


Abstract

We examined mismatch repair (MMR) defective, diploid strains of budding yeast grown for ~160 generations to determine whether decreases in spore viability due to the uncovering of recessive lethal mutations correlated with an increase in gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs). No GCRs were detected despite dramatic decreases in spore viability, suggesting that frameshift and/or other unrepaired DNA replication lesions play a greater role than chromosomal instability in decreasing viability in MMR defective strains.

Key Words: gross chromosomal rearrangements, mismatch repair, mutation accumulation