Two group I mitochondrial introns in the cob-box and coxI genes require the same MRS1/PET157 nuclear gene product for splicing.

We have studied the role of the product of the nuclear gene PET157 in mitochondrial pre-mRNA splicing. Cytoduction experiments show that a mitochondrial genome deleted for the three introns bI3, aI5 and aI6 is able to suppress the pet157-1 mutation: the strain recovers respiratory competency indicating that the product of the PET157 gene is only required for mitochondrial pre-mRNA splicing. Characterization of the high molecular weight pre-mRNAs which accumulate in the pet157 mutant demonstrate that the product of the PET157 gene is required for the excision of two group I introns bI3 and aI6 (corresponding to aI5 beta) located in the cob-box and coxI genes respectively. Furthermore, the pet157 mutant strain accumulates the bI3 maturase in the form of a polypeptide of 50K (p50) previously observed in mitochondrial mutants defective in the excision of bI3. We have shown by restriction analysis and allelism tests that the pet157-1 mutation is allelic to the nuclear mrs1 mutation, previously described as specifically blocking the excision of bI3. Finally, revertants obtained by the deletion of bI3 or aI6 from the mitochondrial DNA were isolated from the MRS1 disrupted allele, confirming the involvement of the product of the MRS1/PET157 gene in the excision of the two introns bI3 and aI6.