The Effect of Chloramphenicol on Respiration, Fermentation and Growth in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Schizosaccharomyces pombe grows and multiplies for many generations in the presence of chloramphenicol (CAP, 2 mg ml-1). CAP-grown cells exhibit nearly fully suppressed respiration, while fermentation occurs at the same rate as in untreated controls. The growth rate of the cultures is reduced in proportion to the diminished energy production, but the content of protein and bulk RNA per cell remain as in untreated cells. The effects of CAP are reversible. It is argued that CAP in S. pombe specifically inhibits mitochondrial protein synthesis without interfering with cytoplasmic protein synthesis. CAP-treated cultures can be division-synchronized either by a selection technique or by a controlled temperature regimen and the synchronous divisions studied after removal of CAP.