Investigating the multibudded and binucleate phenotype of the yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii growing on minimal medium

The yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii, known to have peculiar resistance to several environmental constraints, is very little known with respect to its genetics and life cycle. In addition to molecular and biochemical studies, cytofluorimetric and morphological analyses can also add information necessary to shed light on its interesting features. In the present study, the DNA and protein content as well as the cellular morphology of Z. bailii populations growing in minimal medium supplemented with different carbon sources and with the addition of different organic acids were investigated. The results show the occurrence of a multibudded phenotype and of a low, but significant percentage of binucleate cells occurring in the early-stationary phase. These traits appear to be different in comparison with the better-known laboratory yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Experiments and speculations about these features and possible implications with Z. bailii main characteristics are discussed.