Sporulation of mitochondrial respiratory deficient mit- mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The role of mitochondrial protein synthesis, electron transport, and four specific mitochondrial gene products on sporulation were studied in respiratory deficient mit- mutants. These mutants were isolated in an op 1 strain and localized on the mitochondrial genome by petite deletion mapping. All 153 mutations studied could be assigned to the four mitochondrial regions OXI1, OXI2, OXI3 and COB, known to affect cytochrome c oxidase and cytochrome b. The specific loss of one mitochondrially translated polypeptide was found in some mutants of each locus: OXI1--cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2, OXI2--subunit 3, OXI3--subunit 1, and COB--cytochrome b. The ability of diploid mit- mutants to sporulate was systematically investigated. About one third of the mutants, representing three loci, were incapable of forming spores. All other cultures produced either respiratory competent mit+ tetrads, both mit+ and mit- tetrads, or only mit- tetrads. Mutants forming mit- tetrads mapped in all four loci. These results demonstrate that in contrast to petite mutants some mit- mutants have retained the ability to perform meiosis and sporulation.