The orir to ori+ mutation in spontaneous yeast petites is accompanied by a drastic change in mitochondrial genome replication

Contingency and selection in mitochondrial genome dynamics

High frequencies of mutant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in human cells lead to cellular defects that are associated with aging and disease. Yet much remains to be understood about the dynamics of the generation of mutant mtDNAs and their relative replicative fitness that informs their fate within cells and tissues. To address this, we utilize long-read single-molecule sequencing to track mutational trajectories of mtDNA in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This model has numerous advantages over mammalian systems due to its much larger mtDNA and ease of artificially competing mutant and wild-type mtDNA copies in cells. We show a previously unseen pattern that constrains subsequent excision events in mtDNA fragmentation in yeast. We also provide evidence for the generation of rare and contentious non-periodic mtDNA structures that lead to persistent diversity within individual cells. Finally, we show that measurements of relative fitness of mtDNA fit a phenomenological model that highlights important biophysical parameters governing mtDNA fitness. Altogether, our study provides techniques and insights into the dynamics of large structural changes in genomes that we show are applicable to more complex organisms like humans.

Lack of site-specific recombination between mitochondrial genomes of petite mutants of yeast

Previous work from our laboratory showed that mitochondrial (mt) genomes, with tandem repeat units, from spontaneous, cytoplasmic petite mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae do not exhibit site-specific recombination in petite x petite crosses [Rayko et al., Gene 63 (1988) 213-226]. Here, we have extended and confirmed these observations by studying other crosses of petites with tandem repeat units, as well as crosses in which one of the parents was, instead, an unstable petite, a-15/4/1, having a palindromic mt genome. In no case was site-specific recombination of the parental mt genomes observed. Progeny cells harbored mt genomes derived from either one or both of the two parents, as shown by analysis of restriction fragments. In the case of biparental inheritance, extensive subcloning of the diploids showed that this was due to a persistent heteroplasmic state and not to intermolecular recombination. The 'new' restriction fragments present in the mt DNA from some diploids were shown to be derived from the unstable parental genome, a-15/4/1, by a secondary excision process. Lack of site-specific recombination is, therefore, not only a feature of crosses involving petite genomes made up of tandem repeat units, but also of crosses in which one parental genome consists of inverted repeats and frequently originates secondary petite genomes formed by tandem repeats. Previous reports of mt recombination in petite mutants are discussed in light of these results.

Sensitivity of intergenic regions of yeast mitochondrial DNA to single-strand-specific nucleases

The reactivity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from Torulopsis glabrata and Saccharomyces cerevisiae towards single-strand-specific nucleases has been examined. AT-rich stretches located in intergenic sequences from both yeasts were cleaved by nucleases when the sequences were contained in supercoiled plasmid DNA. In particular ori/rep sequences from the mtDNA of S. cerevisiae were shown to be sensitive to the single-strand-specific nucleases. The locations of the sensitive sites were related to the organisation of the sequence domains of ori/rep and the superhelicity of the DNA, as well as the presence of particular sequences. It is proposed that distortions of the DNA duplex could be generated in mtDNA molecules in vivo and that these distortions may provide a substrate for enzymes involved in transmission, recombination and/or transcription of mtDNA.

Regions flanking ori sequences affect the replication efficiency of the mitochondrial genome of ori+ petite mutants from yeast

The mitochondrial genomes of progenies from 26 crosses between 17 cytoplasmic, spontaneous, suppressive, ori+ petite mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been studied by electrophoresis of restriction fragments. Only parental genomes (or occasionally, genomes derived from them by secondary excisions) were found in the progenies of the almost 500 diploids investigated; no evidence for illegitimate, site-specific mitochondrial recombination was detected. One of the parental genomes was always found to be predominate over the other one, although to different extents in different crosses. This predominance appears to be due to a higher replication efficiency, which is correlated with a greater density of ori sequences on the mitochondrial genome (and with a shorter repeat unit size of the latter). Exceptions to the 'repeat-unit-size rule' were found, however, even when the parental mitochondrial genomes carried the same ori sequence. This indicates that noncoding, intergenic sequences outside ori sequences also play a role in modulating replication efficiency. Since in different petites such sequences differ in primary structure, size, and position relative to ori sequences, this modulation is likely to take place through an indirect effect on DNA and nucleoid structure.

The GC clusters of the mitochondrial genome of yeast and their evolutionary origin

We have studied the primary and secondary structures, the location and the orientation of the 196 GC clusters present in the 90% of the mitochondrial genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which have already been sequenced. The vast majority of GC clusters is located in intergenic sequences (including ori sequences, intergenic open reading frames and the gene varl which probably arose from an intergenic spacer) and in intronic closed reading frames (CRF's); most of them can be folded into stem-and-loop systems; both orientations are equally frequent. The primary structures of GC clusters permit to group them into eight families, seven of which are related to the family formed by clusters A, B and C of the ori sequences. On the basis of the present work, we propose that the latter derive from a primitive ori sequence (probably made of only a monomeric cluster C and its flanking sequences r* and r) through (i) a series of duplication inversions generating clusters A and B; and (ii) an expansion process producing the AT stretches of ori sequences. Most GC clusters apparently originated from primary clusters also derived from the primitive ori sequence in the course of its evolution towards the present ori sequences. Finally, we propose that the function of GC clusters is predominantly, or entirely, associated with the structure and organization of the mitochondrial genome of yeast and, indirectly, with the regulation of its expression.

Polymorphic variations in the ori sequences from the mitochondrial genomes of different wild-type yeast strains

We determined the restriction maps and primary structures of two as yet poorly characterized regions of the mitochondrial genomes of different wild-type strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These regions respectively comprised the ori1 sequence and the newly identified ori8 sequence. Ori1 and ori8, together with their flanking sequences, exhibit a large polymorphism, resulting from specific variations due to insertions or deletions of optional GC clusters at different locations. The mechanisms underlying such sequence rearrangements are discussed.

The ori sequences of the mitochondrial genome of a wild-type yeast strain: number, location, orientation and structure

We have investigated the number, the location, the orientation and the structure of the seven ori sequences present in the mitochondrial genome of a wild-type strain, A, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These homologous sequences are formed by three G + C-rich clusters, A, B and C, and by four A + T-rich stretches. Two of the latter, p and s, are located between clusters A and B; one, l, between clusters B and C; and one r, either immediately follows cluster C (in ori 3-7), or is separated from it by an additional A + T-rich stretch, r', (in ori 1 and ori 2). The most remarkable differences among ori sequences concern the presence of two additional G + C-rich clusters, beta and gamma, which are inserted in sequence l of ori 4 and 6 and in the middle of sequence r of ori 4, 6 and 7, respectively. Neglecting clusters beta and gamma and stretch r', the length of ori sequences is 280 +/- 1 bp, and that of the l stretch 200 +/- 1 bp. Hairpin structures can be formed by the whole A-B region, by clusters beta and gamma, and (in ori 2-6) by a short AT sequence, lp, immediately preceding cluster beta. An overall tertiary folding of ori sequences can be obtained. Some structural features of ori sequences are shared by the origins of replication of the heavy strands of the mitochondrial genomes of mammalian cells.

A comparative study of the ori sequences from the mitochondrial genomes of twenty wild-type yeast strains

The ori sequences of the mitochondrial genomes of 20 wild-type strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were compared with those of the previously studied strain A (de Zamaroczy et al., 1984). The seven canonical ori sequences of this strain appear to be present in all strains tested, but in most strains ori1 is replaced by an extensively rearranged ori1 * sequence, and an additional ori sequence, ori8, is present between the oxi3 and the 15S RNA genes; one strain, B, lacks ori4. The location and orientation of ori sequences of three strains, B, C and K, were found to be the same as in strain A. The primary structures of four ori sequences from three different strains (ori1 of strain J69-1B, ori3 and ori5 of strain K, ori6 of strain D273-10B) were found to be identical with the corresponding ori sequences previously investigated. Hybridization experiments with different ori probes indicated a conservation of ori2-ori7 sequences in all strains tested. The primary structure of a petite genome derived from strain B and carrying ori1 * is reported and discussed.

The mitochondrial genomes of spontaneous orir petite mutants of yeast have rearranged repeat units organized as inverted tandem dimers

We have investigated the structure and organization of the mitochondrial genomes of two related orir (ori-rearranged) spontaneous petite mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In these mutant genomes every repeat unit contains an inverted terminal duplication harboring a second (inverted) ori sequence, and tandem pairs of repeat units alternate with tandem pairs in inverted orientation. We have shown that orir genomes are organized as the genomes with inverted repeat units of ethidium bromide (EtBr)-induced petites, and we have clarified the mechanism by which such mutant mitochondrial genomes arise.