Assembly of the mitochondrial membrane system: sequence analysis of a yeast mitochondrial ATPase gene containing the oli-2 and oli-4 loci.

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) segments of several rho- mutants carrying the oli-2, oli-4 and pho-1 loci have been sequenced. The segments contain a common structural gene sequence that has been identified to include all three genetic markers. The gene codes for a protein with a molecular weight of 28,257. This new gene is located between 61.5 and 62.6 units on the wild-type map of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is transcribed from the same DNA strand as most other yeast mitochondrial genes sequenced to date. The amino acid composition and sequence deduced from the DNA sequence indicate that the protein is very hydrophobic, with three long domains (greater than 30 residues) consisting of nonpolar amino acids. Based on its molecular weight, the gene product is tentatively proposed to be either subunit 3 or 6 of the oligomycin-sensitive ATPase.