Volume 135, Number 3, 269-272, DOI: 10.1007/BF00268621

The size of mitochondrial DNA from a cytoplasmic Petite mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Gosbert Weth and Georg Michaelis

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Abstract

Mitochondrial DNA has been isolated from a cytoplasmic petite mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which has retained only about 2% of the mitochondrial wild type genome. The denatured DNA was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and a homogeneous, single band of DNA was found. Petite and wild type mitochondrial DNAs exhibited similar gel electrophoretic mobilities. Using denatured DNA from the E. coli phages T4 and T3 for comparison a molecular weight of 55×106 daltons has been calculated for the double-stranded petite mitochondrial DNA. On the basis of this observation most of the mitochondrial DNA of this petite mutant appeared to consist of a polymer of about 50 repeats to account for a size similar to that of the wild type molecule. Thus a regulatory mechanism might exist which keeps constant the physical size of the mitochondrial DNA molecule in spite of the elimination of large fractions of the wild type genome.
Communicated by F. Kaudewitz
Dedicated to Dr. Dr. h. c. Peter Michaelis on the occasion of his 75th birthday

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