Regulation of methionine synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae operates through independent signals: methionyl-tRNAmet and S-adenosylmethionine.

The synthesis of at least six enzymes implicated in methionine biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is regulated pleiotropically by two independent regulatory systems. Repression of enzyme synthesis is promoted either by exogenous methonine or by exogenous S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). The regulatory system acting in methionine mediated repression seems to comprise methionyl-tRNA-met as a co-repressor and the other system, acting in SAM repression, comprises SAM as a co-repressor. This concept gives a role in regulation to the two activated forms of methionine. Moreover, evidence is presented that the "SAM repressor" probably acts at a post-transcriptional level while the "met-tRNAmet repressor" would be active at the transcriptional level. These conclusions have been based on two series of experiments: one using a mutant bearing a modified methionyl-tRNA synthetase [L-methionine: tRNA-met ligase (AMP-forming) E.C.6.1.1.10] and one studying the kinetics of depression of synthesis of one of the biosynthetic enzymes after repression either by exogenous methionine or by exogenous SAM. Our results are strengthened by the use of two different drugs: one inhibiting messenger RNA synthesis and the other inhibiting protein synthesis.