RNA maturation in mitochondria of S. cerevisiae and S. pombe

Although the gene content is rather conserved, the genomes in mitochondria of yeasts vary dramatically in size [Clark-Walker, G.D., Evans, R.J., Hoeben, P., McArthur, C.R., 1985. Basis of diversity in yeast mitochondrial DNAs. In: Quagliariello, E.C., Palmieri, F., Saccone, C., Kroon, A.M. (Eds.). Achievements and Perspectives of Mitochondrial Research 2. Science Publishers, Amsterdam, pp. 71-78] and in the number of transcription units. Since the fidelity and processivity of the mitochondrial single-subunit phage-like RNA polymerase present in yeast mitochondria are certainly limited, one might speculate that the density of transcription initiation sites on the mitochondrial genomes is one of the factors influencing the genome size. In an effort to find common features among the apparent idiosyncrasies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (with its extremely large mtDNA) and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (with its extremely small mitochondrial genome), the aim of this review is to compare recent data about transcription and generation of 5′ and 3′ ends of mature RNA transcripts in S. cerevisiae and in S. pombe. Both organisms are two attractive model systems enabling investigation of various aspects of mitochondrial genetics.