The fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is a genetically tractable model organism for cell cycle and molecular genetics research. We describe methods to synchronize S. pombe cultures, and the benefits and limitations of each. Drug-induced synchrony is a convenient method to arrest the cell cycle. An example of the drug hydroxyurea is shown, which arrests cells in S-phase. Environmental modulation through media composition or growth conditions may also be used to synchronize cultures, most commonly with nitrogen depletion to arrest in G1-phase. Finally, examples of temperature-sensitive conditional alleles are shown which arrest the cell cycle at key transition points. Each of these methods must be assessed relative to the desired effect and the process being studied, providing the best synchrony with the fewest off-target effects.
Keywords: Cdc10; Cdc22; Cdc25; Fission yeast; Hydroxyurea block; Nitrogen arrest; Schizosaccharomyces pombe; Septation index; cell cycle.
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