Disabling the DNA damage response suppressed the requirement of Ku for proliferation of U. maydis cells. (A) Serial 10-fold dilutions of FB1 (WT), UMP122 (chk1Δ), UCS1 (atr1Δ), UCS33 (uku70nar1), UCS35 (uku70nar1 chk1Δ), UCS40 (uku70nar1 atr1Δ), UCS30 (uku80nar1), UCS39 (uku80nar1 chk1Δ) and UCS44 (uku80nar1 atr1Δ) cultures were spotted on solid rich medium (YPD) and minimal medium with nitrate (MMD). YPD plates were incubated for 2 days and the nitrate plates for 4 days at 28°C. (B) Morphology of uku70nar1 (UCS33), uku80nar1 (UCS30), uku70nar1 chk1Δ (UCS35), uku70nar1 atr1Δ (UCS40), uku80nar1 chk1Δ (UCS39) and uku80nar1 atr1Δ (UCS44) cells incubated for 8 h in restrictive conditions (YPD). All cells were shown at the same magnification, Bar: 15 μm. (C) FACS analysis of FB1 (WT), UCS33 (uku70nar1), UCS35 (uku70nar1 chk1Δ), UCS40 (uku70nar1 atr1Δ), UCS30 (uku80nar1), UCS39 (uku80nar1 chk1Δ) and UCS44 (uku80nar1 atr1Δ) after 8 h of incubation in permissive (minimal medium with nitrate, MMD) or restrictive conditions (rich medium, YPD). 1C and 2C indicate haploid and diploid DNA content.