Dynamic post-transcriptional regulation by Mrn1 links cell wall homeostasis to mitochondrial structure and function

The RNA-binding protein Mrn1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae targets over 300 messenger RNAs, including many involved in cell wall biogenesis. The impact of Mrn1 on these target transcripts is not known, however, nor is the cellular role for this regulation. We have shown that Mrn1 represses target mRNAs through the action of its disordered, asparagine-rich amino-terminus. Its endogenous targets include the paralogous SUN domain proteins Nca3 and Uth1, which affect mitochondrial structure and function as well as the cell wall, as well as other nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins. While loss of MRN1 has no effect on fermentative growth, we found that mrn1Δ yeast adapt more quickly to respiratory conditions. These cells also have enlarged mitochondria in fermentative conditions, an observation that may explain their faster switch to respiration. Our analyses indicated that Mrn1 acts as a hub for integrating cell wall integrity and mitochondrial biosynthesis in a carbon-source responsive manner. mRNA profiling in wild-type and mrn1Δ budding yeast, during fermentative (glucose) and respiratory (ethanol + glycerol) growth