yeast

In order to fully explore the capabilities of yeast genetics, mutagenesis will be performed on the yeast cells. Mutagenesis is the inducing of a random mutation deliberately. It can be performed in several ways such as using chemicals, x-rays, and UV-radiation. These methods cause random changes in the sequence of DNA molecules and allow for the studying of concepts such as complementation. Specifically, the adenosine pathway will be studied using mutagenesis. Four haploid strands. ADE1a, ADE2a, ADE1α, and ADE2α will undergo mutagenesis and will then be placed on various media to observe growth and characteristics. The “1” mutants have a mutation in ADE1 and the “2” mutants will have a mutation in ADE2 in the adenine pathway. A mutant allele in either of these pathways will cause the buildup of P-ribosylamino imidazole, resulting in a red pigmented cell. The accumulation of P-ribosylamino imidazole also causes a decrease in the growth rate of ADE mutant cells.