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The effect of ergosterol on cell division and phospholipid metabolism was investigated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain GL7, a sterol and unsaturated fatty acid auxotroph. Cells growing poorly on cholesterol were stimulated to grow more rapidly by supplementing the medium with 100 ng of ergosterol per ml. Within 10 min after ergosterol addition to cells prelabeled with 32Pi or [3H]inositol the isotope content of the polyphosphoinositides increases markedly followed by an equally striking and rapid decrease. Subsequently upon continuous labeling, 32P incorporation into phosphatidylinositol and, to a lesser degree, other phospholipids increased. Finally 3h after ergosterol addition the growth rate increased. Only stimulation of the first process, i.e. polyphosphoinositide metabolism, upon ergosterol addition is resistant to inhibition by cycloheximide.