The novel nuclear gene DSS-1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is necessary for mitochondrial biogenesis.

A previously unknown nuclear gene DSS-1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned and sequenced. The gene was isolated as a multicopy suppressor of a disruption of the SUV-3 gene coding for a DEAD/H box protein involved in processing and turnover of mitochondrial transcripts. The DSS-1 gene codes for a 970 amino-acid protein of molecular weight 111 kDa and is necessary for mitochondrial biogenesis. Amino-acid sequence analysis indicates the presence of motifs characteristic for Escherichia coli RNase II, the dis3 protein from Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the cyt4 protein participating in RNA processing and turnover in Neurospora crassa mitochondria, and the vacB protein from Shigella flexneri. We suggest that the DSS-1 protein may be a component of the mitochondrial 3'-5' exoribonuclease complex.