DISTRIBUTION OF MITOCHONDRIAL INTRON SEQUENCES AMONG 21 YEAST SPECIES

The mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of 21 yeast species belonging to 12 genera have been tested for the presence of sequences similar to seven S. cerevisiae mitochondrial introns (Sc cox1.1,2,3,4,5c,Sc cob.4 and Sc LSU.1) and one K. lactis mitochondrial intron (Kl cox1.2). Some introns, (Sc cox1.4, Sc cob.4, Sc LSU.1 and Kl cox1.2 - all group I type), are widely distributed and are found in species with either basidiomycete or ascomycete affinities. This distribution is suggestive of recent sequence transfer between species. The remaining S. cerevisiae introns cross react with an additional species but with no set pattern. Pulsed field gel electrophoretic studies confirm that none of the tested mitochondrial introns cross react with nuclear DNA. These introns are, therefore, mitochondria-specific. Seven strains of K. lactis exhibit striking variability in intron content. In contrast to all mitochondrial introns tested, two introns of nuclear genes (the K. lactis actin gene and the S. cerevisiae RP29B gene) are not detected beyond their source species.