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. 1992 Mar 1;89(5):1676–1680. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.5.1676

A protein required for RNA processing and splicing in Neurospora mitochondria is related to gene products involved in cell cycle protein phosphatase functions.

B Turcq 1, K F Dobinson 1, N Serizawa 1, A M Lambowitz 1
PMCID: PMC48515  PMID: 1311848

Abstract

The Neurospora crassa cyt-4 mutants have pleiotropic defects in mitochondrial RNA splicing, 5' and 3' end processing, and RNA turnover. Here, we show that the cyt-4+ gene encodes a 120-kDa protein with significant similarity to the SSD1/SRK1 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the DIS3 protein of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which have been implicated in protein phosphatase functions that regulate cell cycle and mitotic chromosome segregation. The CYT-4 protein is present in mitochondria and is truncated or deficient in two cyt-4 mutants. Assuming that the CYT-4 protein functions in a manner similar to the SSD1/SRK1 and DIS3 proteins, we infer that the mitochondrial RNA splicing and processing reactions defective in the cyt-4 mutants are regulated by protein phosphorylation and that the defects in the cyt-4 mutants result from failure to normally regulate this process. Our results provide evidence that RNA splicing and processing reactions may be regulated by protein phosphorylation.

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Selected References

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