Excised linear introns regulate growth in yeast

Abstract

Spliceosomal introns are ubiquitous non-coding RNAs typically destined for rapid debranching and degradation. Here, we describe 34 excised Saccharomyces cerevisiae introns that, although rapidly degraded in log-phase growth, accumulate as linear RNAs under either saturated-growth conditions or other stresses that cause prolonged inhibition of TORC1, a key integrator of growth signaling. Introns that become stabilized remain associated with components of the spliceosome and differ from the other spliceosomal introns in having a short distance between their lariat branch point and 3' splice site, which is necessary and sufficient for their stabilization. Deletion of these unusual introns is disadvantageous in saturated conditions and causes aberrantly high growth rates of yeast chronically challenged with the TORC1 inhibitor rapamycin. Reintroduction of native or engineered stable introns suppresses this aberrant rapamycin response. Thus, excised introns function within the TOR growth-signaling network of S. cerevisiae, and more generally, excised spliceosomal introns can have biological functions.