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Fine structure of the 21S ribosomal RNA region on yeast mitochondrial DNA

II. The organization of sequences in petite mitochondrial DNAs carrying genetic markers from the 21S region

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Summary

We have investigated the organization of sequences in ten rho- petite mtDNAs by restriction enzyme analysis and electron microscopy. From the comparison of the physical maps of the petite mtDNAs with the physical map of the mtDNA of the parental rho+ strain we conclude that there are at least three different classes of petite mtDNAs:

  1. I.

    Head-to-tail repeats of an (almost) continuous segment of the rho+ mtDNA.

  2. II.

    Head-to-tail repeats of an (almost) continuous segment of the rho+ mtDNA with a terminal inverted duplication.

  3. III.

    Mixed repeats of an (almost) continuous rho+ mtDNA segment.

In our petite mtDNAs of the second type, the inverted duplications do not cover the entire conserved rho+ mtDNA segment. We have found that the petite mtDNAs of the third type contain a local inverted duplication at the site where repeating units can insert in two orientations. At least in one case this local inverted duplication must have arisen by mutation.

The rearrangements that we have found in the petite mtDNAs do not cluster at specific sites on the rho+ mtDNA map. Large rearrangements or deletions within the conserved rho+ mtDNA segment seem to contribute to the suppressiveness of a petite strain. There is also a positive correlation between the retention of certain segments of the rho+ mtDNA and the suppressiveness of a petite strain. We found no correlation between the suppressiveness of a petite strain and its genetic complexity.

The relevance of these findings for the mechanism of petite induction and the usefulness of petite strains for the physical mapping of mitochondrial genetic markers and for DNA sequence analysis are discussed.

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Abbreviations

wt:

wild-type (=the parental rho+ strain JS1-3D)

mtDNA:

mitochondrial DNA

rRNA:

ribosomal RNA

21S region:

region around the cistroa for the 21S ribosomal RNA on yeast mtDNA

HT-, HH-, TT-junction:

head-to-tail, head-to-head, tail-to-tail junction, respectively

EDTA:

ethylenediaminetetra-acetate

Tris:

trishydroxyaminomethane

EthBr:

ethidium bromide

cRNA:

complementary RNA

bp:

base paris(s)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section for Medical Enzymology and Molecular Biology Laboratory of Biochemistry, University of Amsterdam, Jan Swammendam Institute, P.O. Box 60.000, 1005 GA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Christa Heyting, Jan-Lodewijk Talen, Peter J. Weijers & Piet Borst

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  1. Christa Heyting
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  2. Jan-Lodewijk Talen
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  3. Peter J. Weijers
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  4. Piet Borst
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Communicated by F. Kaudewitz

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Heyting, C., Talen, JL., Weijers, P.J. et al. Fine structure of the 21S ribosomal RNA region on yeast mitochondrial DNA. Molec. Gen. Genet. 168, 251–277 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271497

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271497

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