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Lookup NU author(s): Emeritus Professor Thomas Kirkwood
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Mitochondria constitute the major energy-producing compartment of the eukaryotic cell. These organelles contain many molecules of DNA that contribute only a handful of proteins required for energy production. Mutations in the DNA of mitochondria were identified as a cause of human disease a quarter of a century ago, and they have subsequently been implicated in ageing. The process whereby deleterious variants come to dominate a cell, tissue or human is the subject of debate. It is likely to involve multiple, often competing, factors, as selection pressures on mitochondrial DNA can be both indirect and intermittent, and are subjected to rapid change. Here, we assess the different models and the prospects for preventing the accumulation of deleterious mitochondrial DNA variants with time.
Author(s): Holt IJ, Speijer D, Kirkwood TBL
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences
Year: 2014
Volume: 369
Issue: 1646
Print publication date: 26/05/2014
ISSN (print): 0962-8436
ISSN (electronic): 1471-2970
Publisher: ROYAL SOC
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0451
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0451
