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#complete medium

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Microbial genetics

Complete medium differs from minimal medium by

Complete medium is enriched with yeast extract, peptone, casein hydrolysate, vitamins, and all amino acids, providing preformed metabolites that bypass biosynthetic needs. Minimal medium lacks these additives, forcing cells to synthesize their own. Adding supplements to minimal converts it to supplemented or complete medium that supports both prototrophs and auxotrophs. Classic Luria-Bertani, nutrient agar, or YPD are examples of complete media. The contrast allows replica plating screens where colonies grown on complete medium are tested for failure on minimal, identifying auxotrophic mutations.

Ref: Hartl & Jones, Genetics, 8th ed., Chapter 6: Culture Media Definitions

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Gene Dissection and Complementation

Complete medium supports growth of

Complete medium provides rich mixture of yeast extract, peptone, all amino acids, vitamins and intermediates that circumvent any biosynthetic defect through external supply. Because required metabolites provided exogenously both prototrophs capable of synthesis and auxotrophs dependent on external supply grow luxuriantly without selection. This contrasts with minimal medium which selects only prototrophs capable of autonomous synthesis. Laboratory maintenance of auxotrophic collections uses complete medium before transferring replicas to minimal plates supplemented singly to identify specific nutritional requirement, standard strategy in Neurospora and E. coli genetics.

Ref: Pierce, Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, 7th ed., Chapter 17: Culture Media for Microbial Genetics

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