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The proportion of total cell DNA which is mitochondrial DNA was measured in haploid, diploid and tetraploid strains of S. cerevisiae grown under a standard set of conditions. For all strains tested the mitochondrial DNA level was in the range 16%-25% of total cell DNA. Repeated measurements of the cellular level of mitochondrial DNA in two haploid strains showed that these strains have measurably different cellular mitochondrial DNA levels (17% and 24% of total DNA, respectively) under our conditions. These two grande strains were used to investigate the role of the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes in the regulation of the mitochondrial DNA level. We have shown by genetic analysis that the difference between these two strains is determined by at least two nuclear genes. The mitochondrial genome is not involved in the regulation of cellular mitochondrial DNA levels. A number of purified petite clones derived from independent spontaneous petite isolates of the grande strain which contained 24% mitochondrial DNA were also studied. The mitochondrial DNA levels in all but one of these petites fell in the range 20-25% of total cell DNA. From these results we conclude that, in general, the mitochondrial DNA level in petite strains is controlled by the same mechanism as operates in grande strains. We propose a general model for the control of the cellular mitochondrial DNA level, in which the amount of mitochondrial DNA per cell is determined by regulation of the number of mitochondrial DNA molecules per cell. This regulation is mediated through the availability of a set of nuclear coded components, possibly a mitochondrial membrane site, which are required for the replication of mitochondrial DNA.
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
April 1984,
Current genetics,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
February 1984,
Current genetics,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
April 1976,
Journal of bioenergetics,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
January 1979,
Indian journal of experimental biology,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
September 1988,
Genetika,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
July 1979,
Molecular & general genetics : MGG,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
September 1986,
Nucleic acids research,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
February 1985,
Nucleic acids research,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
January 2003,
Folia microbiologica,
R M Hall, and
P Nagley, and
A W Linnane
November 1982,
Current genetics,
