title: Does the study of genetic interactions help predict the function of mitochondrial proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae?
abstract: Mitochondria are complex organelles of eukaryotic cells that contain their own genome, encoding key subunits of the respiratory complexes. The successive steps of mitochondrial gene expression are intimately linked, and are under the control of a large number of nuclear genes encoding factors that are imported into mitochondria. Investigating the relationships between these genes and their interaction networks, and whether they reveal direct or indirect partners, can shed light on their role in mitochondrial biogenesis, as well as identify new actors in this process. These studies, mainly developed in yeasts, are significant because mammalian equivalents of such yeast genes are candidate genes in mitochondrial pathologies. In practice, studies of physical, chemical and genetic interactions can be undertaken. The search for genetic interactions, either aggravating or alleviating the phenotype of the starting mutants, has proved to be particularly powerful in yeast since even subtle changes in respiratory phenotypes can be screened in a very efficient way. In addition, several high throughput genetic approaches have recently been developed. In this review we analyze the genetic network of three genes involved in different steps of mitochondrial gene expression, from the transcription and translation of mitochondrial RNAs to the insertion of newly synthesized proteins into the inner mitochondrial membrane, and we examine their relevance to our understanding of mitochondrial biogenesis. We find that these genetic interactions are seldom redundant with physical interactions, and thus bring a considerable amount of original and significant information as well as open new areas of research.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR3404 Associated to the University Paris XI-Sud, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ostojić
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR3404 Associated to the University Paris XI-Sud, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Glatigny
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR3404 Associated to the University Paris XI-Sud, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR3404 Associated to the University Paris XI-Sud, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dujardin
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR3404 Associated to the University Paris XI-Sud, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France. Electronic address: bonnefoy@cgm.cnrs-gif.fr.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bonnefoy
mesh_terms: D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D063269:Mitochondrial Turnover; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C063626:MTF2 protein, S cerevisiae; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C519191:Mss51 protein, S cerevisiae; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C090858:OXA1 protein; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
keywords: Gene expression; Genetic interaction; Mitochondria; Networks; Saccharomyces cerevisiae