Normal mitochondrial function in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> has become dependent on inefficient splicing.

ABSTRACT: Self-splicing introns are mobile elements that have invaded a number of highly conserved genes in prokaryotic and organellar genomes. Here, we show that deletion of these selfish elements from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial genome is stressful to the host. A strain without mitochondrial introns displays hallmarks of the retrograde response, with altered mitochondrial morphology, gene expression and metabolism impacting growth and lifespan. Deletion of the complete suite of mitochondrial introns is phenocopied by overexpression of the splicing factor Mss116. We show that, in both cases, abnormally efficient transcript maturation results in excess levels of mature cob and cox1 host mRNA. Thus, inefficient splicing has become an integral part of normal mitocho

SUBMITTER: Rudan M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5898908 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature