The MTF1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a 43 kDa MITOCHONDRIAL RNA polymerase specificity factor which recognizes mitochondrial promoters to initiate correct transcription. To better understand structure-function of the MTF1 gene as well as the transcription mechanism of mitochondrial RNA polymerase, two cold-sensitive alleles of the MTF1 mutation were isolated by plasmid shuffling method after PCR-based random mutagenesis of the MTF1 gene. The mutation sites were analyzed by nucleotide sequencing. These cs phenotype mtf1 mutants were respiration competent on the nonfermentible glycerol medium at the permissive temperature, but incompetent at 13.deg.C. The cs phenotype allele of the MTF1, yJH147, encoded an L146P replacement. The other cs allele, yJH148, contained K179E and K214M double replacements. Mutations in both alleles were in a region of Mtflp which is located between domains with amino acid sequence similarities to conserved regions 2 and 3 of bacterial s factors.