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Enhanced mtDNA repair capacity protects pulmonary artery endothelial cells from oxidant-mediated death.

In rat cultured pulmonary arterial (PA), microvascular, and venous endothelial cells (ECs), the rate of mitochondrial (mt) DNA repair is predictive of the severity of xanthine oxidase (XO)-induced mtDNA damage and the sensitivity to XO-mediated cell death. To examine the importance of mtDNA damage and repair more directly, we determined the impact of mitochondrial overexpression of the DNA repair enzyme, Ogg1, on XO-induced mtDNA damage and cell death in PAECs. PAECs were transiently transfected with an Ogg1-mitochondrial targeting sequence construct. Mitochondria-selective overexpression of the transgene product was confirmed microscopically by the observation that immunoreactive Ogg1 colocalized with a mitochondria-specific tracer and, with an oligonucleotide cleavage assay, by a selective enhancement of mitochondrial Ogg1 activity. Overexpression of Ogg1 protected against both XO-induced mtDNA damage, determined by quantitative Southern analysis, and cell death as assessed by trypan blue exclusion and MTS assays. These findings show that mtDNA damage is a direct cause of cell death in XO-treated PAECs.

Animals↗

MtDNA diversity among four Portuguese autochthonous dog breeds: a fine-scale characterisation.

BACKGROUND: The picture of dog mtDNA diversity, as obtained from geographically wide samplings but from a small number of individuals per region or breed, has revealed weak geographic correlation and high degree of haplotype sharing between very distant breeds. We aimed at a more detailed picture through extensive sampling (n = 143) of four Portuguese autochthonous breeds - Castro Laboreiro Dog, Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog, Portuguese Sheepdog and Azores Cattle Dog-and comparatively reanalysing published worldwide data. RESULTS: Fifteen haplotypes belonging to four major haplogroups were found in these breeds, of which five are newly reported. The Castro Laboreiro Dog presented a 95% frequency of a new A haplotype, while all other breeds contained a diverse pool of existing lineages. The Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog, the most heterogeneous of the four Portuguese breeds, shared haplotypes with the other mainland breeds, while Azores Cattle Dog shared no haplotypes with the other Portuguese breeds.A review of mtDNA haplotypes in dogs across the world revealed that: (a) breeds tend to display haplotypes belonging to different haplogroups; (b) haplogroup A is present in all breeds, and even uncommon haplogroups are highly dispersed among breeds and continental areas; (c) haplotype sharing between breeds of the same region is lower than between breeds of different regions and (d) genetic distances between breeds do not correlate with geography. CONCLUSION: MtDNA haplotype sharing occurred between Serra da Estrela Mountain dogs (with putative origin in the centre of Portugal) and two breeds in the north and south of the country-with the Castro Laboreiro Dog (which behaves, at the mtDNA level, as a sub-sample of the Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog) and the southern Portuguese Sheepdog. In contrast, the Azores Cattle Dog did not share any haplotypes with the other Portuguese breeds, but with dogs sampled in Northern Europe. This suggested that the Azores Cattle Dog descended maternally from Northern European dogs rather than Portuguese mainland dogs. A review of published mtDNA haplotypes identified thirteen non-Portuguese breeds with sufficient data for comparison. Comparisons between these thirteen breeds, and the four Portuguese breeds, demonstrated widespread haplotype sharing, with the greatest diversity among Asian dogs, in accordance with the central role of Asia in canine domestication.

Animals↗

Where and when do somatic mtDNA mutations occur?

It is generally assumed that somatic mtDNA mutations are originally created in the cells where these mutations are currently found. Accumulating data indicate, however, that cells with a particular mtDNA mutation tend to "cluster," that is, occur repeatedly within a given sample, but not in the others. Clusters likely are clonal, which implies that mtDNA mutations do not originate in the cells that currently carry them, but rather in those cells' progenitors, such as stem or satellite cells, or even earlier in the development. Importantly, a majority of mtDNA mutations appear to belong to such clusters, and thus mutational events in progenitor cells may be one of the major sources of mtDNA mutations in healthy aging tissue. More research including the analysis of multiple samples per individual is needed to confirm the existence of clustering and to distinguish between the possible clustering mechanisms.

Aging↗

Progressive depletion of mtDNA in mitochondrial myopathy.

The authors studied seven patients with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) myopathy. Over time, there was a progressive depletion of mtDNA, which preferentially affected wild-type mitochondrial genomes. This suggests that loss of wild-type mtDNA is a major feature of mtDNA myopathy, and preventing wild-type mtDNA depletion has treatment implications.

DNA, Mitochondrial↗

No evidence of Neandertal mtDNA contribution to early modern humans.

The retrieval of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from four Neandertal fossils from Germany, Russia, and Croatia has demonstrated that these individuals carried closely related mtDNAs that are not found among current humans. However, these results do not definitively resolve the question of a possible Neandertal contribution to the gene pool of modern humans since such a contribution might have been erased by genetic drift or by the continuous influx of modern human DNA into the Neandertal gene pool. A further concern is that if some Neandertals carried mtDNA sequences similar to contemporaneous humans, such sequences may be erroneously regarded as modern contaminations when retrieved from fossils. Here we address these issues by the analysis of 24 Neandertal and 40 early modern human remains. The biomolecular preservation of four Neandertals and of five early modern humans was good enough to suggest the preservation of DNA. All four Neandertals yielded mtDNA sequences similar to those previously determined from Neandertal individuals, whereas none of the five early modern humans contained such mtDNA sequences. In combination with current mtDNA data, this excludes any large genetic contribution by Neandertals to early modern humans, but does not rule out the possibility of a smaller contribution.

Animals↗

Decreased diversity but increased substitution rate in host mtDNA as a consequence of Wolbachia endosymbiont infection.

A substantial fraction of insects and other terrestrial arthropods are infected with parasitic, maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria that manipulate host reproduction. In addition to imposing direct selection on the host to resist these effects, endosymbionts may also have indirect effects on the evolution of the mtDNA with which they are cotransmitted. Patterns of mtDNA diversity and evolution were examined in Drosophila recens, which is infected with the endosymbiont Wolbachia, and its uninfected sister species D. subquinaria. The level of mitochondrial, but not nuclear, DNA diversity is much lower in D. recens than in D. subquinaria, consistent with the hypothesized diversity-purging effects of an evolutionarily recent Wolbachia sweep. The d(N)/d(S) ratio in mtDNA is significantly greater in D. recens, suggesting that Muller's ratchet has brought about an increased rate of substitution of slightly deleterious mutations. The data also reveal elevated rates of synonymous substitutions in D. recens, suggesting that these sites may experience weak selection. These findings show that maternally transmitted endosymbionts can severely depress levels of mtDNA diversity within an infected host species, while accelerating the rate of divergence among mtDNA lineages in different species.

Animals↗

The effects of cytoplasmic transfer of mtDNA in relation to whole-body endurance performance.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between whole-body aerobic capacity and mitochondrial facilities. The mitochondrial enzyme system of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is encoded both by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA. To identify the effect of mtDNA on whole-body aerobic capacity, we fused the platelets of the study subjects that contained mtDNA but that lacked nuclear DNA with rho(0) HeLa cells, which lacked mtDNA, and isolated repopulated cybrids. The mitochondrial respiratory functions of the cybrids, estimated from cell oxygen consumption and cytochrome-c oxidase (CCOX), were compared between endurance athletes and sedentary controls. The oxygen consumption was 18.5 +/- 3.9 and 18.2 +/- 4.1 nmol/min/ml/10(7) cells in athletes and controls, respectively. The CCOX activity was 98.8 +/- 17.5 and 116.7 +/- 9.8%, compared with fibroblasts in athletes and controls, respectively. No significant difference was noted between groups in either cell oxygen consumption or CCOX activity. These results show that the OXPHOS enzymes coded by mtDNA do not strongly influence whole-body aerobic fitness.

Adult↗

[Genetic diversity of mtDNA of domestic camels (C. bactrianus) in China].

In this paper the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 87 domestic camels from Gansu, Xingjiang and Inner Mongolia were analyzed. Totally 18 restriction endonucleases including Apa I, Ava I, BamH I, Bcl I, Bgl I, Bgl II, Dra I, EcoR I, EcoR V, Hind III, Kpn I, Pvu II, Sac I, Sal I, Sca I, Sma I, Xba I and Xho I were used to investigate the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of camel mtDNA through Southern blotting to reveal the genetic diversity within three groups of domestic camel and the genetic relationships among the three domestic groups. The results indicated that the average molecular weight of camel mtDNA is 16.26 +/- 0.28 kb, the camel mtDNA is inherited maternally and no variations and heteroplasmy are found in camel mtDNA. Among the 82 domestic camels, 35 restriction morph and 12 haplotypes were detected, and the value of average sequence variation within the domestic population (pi) is 0.2273%, which showed a relatively rich genetic diversity existed in the domestic camels. From F-test of the haplotype distribution and comparison of the haplotype sharement between the 3 domestic camel groups, it was suggested that there is no obvious genetic divergence and that the rich genetic diversity comes from the variation among individuals instead of the genetic divergence between groups. All domestic camels could be divided into 2 types (A and B) with a significant genetic distance (P = 0.0464).

Animals↗

Mitochondrial theory of aging matures--roles of mtDNA mutation and oxidative stress in human aging.

Mitochondrial theory of aging, a variant of free radical theory of aging, proposes that accumulation of damage to mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leads to aging of humans and animals. It has been supported by the observation that mitochondrial function declines and mtDNA mutation increases in tissue cells in an age-dependent manner. Age-related impairment in the respiratory enzymes not only decreases ATP synthesis but also enhances production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through increased electron leakage in the respiratory chain. Human mtDNA, which is not protected by histones and yet is exposed to high levels of ROS and free radicals in the matrix of mitochondria, is susceptible to oxidative damage and mutation in tissue cells. In the past decade, more than one hundred mtDNA mutations have been found in patients with mitochondrial disease, and some of them also occur in aging human tissues. The incidence and abundance of these mutant mtDNAs are increased with age, particularly in tissues with great demand for energy. On the other hand, recent studies have revealed that the ability of the human cell to cope with oxidative stress is compromised in aging. Comparative analysis of gene expression by microarray technology has shown that a number of genes related to oxidative stress response are altered in aging animals. We discovered that the transcripts of early growth response protein-1, growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible proteins and glutathione S-transferase genes are increased in response to oxidative stress in human skin fibroblasts. Moreover, the activities of Cu,Zn-SOD, catalase and glutathione peroxidase decrease with age, whereas Mn-SOD activity increases with age up to 65 years and slightly declines thereafter in skin fibroblasts. Such an imbalance in the function of antioxidant enzymes may result in excess production of damaging ROS in the cell. This notion is supported by the observation that intracellular levels of H2O2 and oxidative damage to DNA and lipids are significantly increased with age of the fibroblast donor. Furthermore, the mitochondrial pool of reduced glutathione declines and DNA damage is enhanced in aging tissues. Taken together, these observations and our previous findings that mtDNA mutations and oxidative damage are increased in aging human tissues suggest that mitochondrial theory of aging is mature.

Aging↗

[Studies of mtDNA haplotype polymorphism of Rongcheng population in China].

The loss of one copy of two 9-bp repeats in mtDNA non-coding region V is often found in Asia and Pacific populations. Two hundred and ten samples from Rongcheng county, Shandong province were detected with the deletion frequency of 12.4%. A distribution map of frequencies of mtDNA 9-bp deletion among Asian and Pacific population was made with reference to other published data. Further discussion was made for the hypotheses of affinity and original model of those populations. PCR-RFLP was conducted to obtain the mtDNA polymorphism information in five other mtDNA regions except the 9-bp deletion in 95 samples. Twenty-seven different mtDNA haplotypes were found, and the relationships among these haplotypes have been analyzed by using MEGA2.0 and PHYLIP 3.57. Two new RFLP sites caused by point mutation were also found, which have not been reported in Chinese populations.

Adolescent↗

Identification of human remains by immobilized sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe analysis of mtDNA hypervariable regions I and II.

AIM: A rapid analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences with an array of immobilized sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) probes was tested on 18 skeletal elements recovered from mass graves in Croatia, which could not be genotyped with common forensic nuclear DNA systems (PM+DQA1 and short tandem repeat analysis). METHODS: We used duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the mtDNA hypervariable regions I and II (HVI and HVII) (444 bp and 415 bp amplicons, respectively) and subsequent linear array typing, which targets six polymorphic regions and two additional sites within the human mtDNA HVI and HVII. The remaining amplified products were subjected to direct sequence analysis to obtain complete sequence information for the targeted HV regions. RESULT: Duplex PCR amplification of the mtDNA HVI and HVII was successful in providing sufficient product for typing with the array of SSO probes in 14 out of the 18 sample extracts. We report here the sequence match of one set of remains with a panel of immobilized SSO probes, followed by direct sequence analysis. The corresponding mtDNA haplotype obtained for the bone sample and the putative maternal reference was unique in a database of 105 randomly selected Croatian individuals. CONCLUSION: Mitochondrial DNA typing with an array of immobilized SSO probes can be a benefit to forensic DNA analysis of mass disaster remains and identity testing of single and mass graves.

Blood Stains↗

[The relationship between the fragment deletion of mtDNA in old rat and the sensitivity to aminoglycoside antibiotic induced deafness].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between the fragnent deletion of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of inner ear in rats and aminoglycoside antibiotic induced deafness (AAID), and to investigate the possible role of mtDNA deletion in the sensitivity to aminoglycoside antibiotic induced deafness in old rat. METHOD: Thirty wistar rats were divided into group A (old rat, > 24 months, n = 15) and group B (young rat, 4 months, n = 15) according to the age. Kanamycin (KM) was intraperitoneally injected 500 mg/kg per day for 10 consecutive day in all rats. The threshold of the auditory brainstem response (ABR) was measured before and after the drug administrations. The inner ear tissue was harvested and the mtDNA was amplified to identify the 4834 bp deletion by PCR technique. RESULT: The elevation of the mean ABR thresholds in group A (42.08 +/- 8.19) dB peSPL was significantly higher than that in group B (12.71 +/- 4.42) dB peSPL (P < 0.01). In group A, 10 of the 15 rats demonstrate the mtDNA4834 deletion and the elevation of the mean ABR thresholds in the rats with mtDNA4834 deletion (45.00 +/- 7.67) dB peSPL was significantly higher than that without so deletion (33.33 +/- 4.08) dB peSPL (P < 0.01). However, mtDNA4834 deletion was negative in group B. CONCLUSION: Deletion of mtDNA of inner ear tissue in old rat is found. The mtDNA deletion may play an important role in the hypersensitivity to aminoglycoside antibiotic ototoxiciy in old rats.

Animals↗

[Rapid genetic screening of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy with mtDNA G11778A mutation by AS-PCR with whole blood].

OBJECTIVE: Rapid Genetic Screening of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) with mtDNA G11778A mutation by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) with whole blood. METHODS: Whole blood with anticoagulant was used as a template of AS-PCR for the analysis of LHON with mtDNA G11778A point mutation. The amplified DNA fragment was directly observed by electrophoretogram with ethidium bromide stained. RESULTS: The accuracy was 100% by using this method in 24 blood samples tested, and the specific of PCR of which used whole blood as template was better than one of the purified mtDNA. The reliability of the method for screening of LHON with mtDNA G11778A mutation was checked by double-blind test in 22 blood samples. CONCLUSION: This method does not need purified DNA from blood and only required one step of PCR. Thus, it is very simple, rapid and accurate for the clinical genetic screening of LHON with mtDNA G11778A point mutation.

DNA, Mitochondrial↗

Pearson syndrome and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy in a patient with a deletion of mtDNA.

A patient is described who has features of Pearson syndrome and who presented in the neonatal period with a hypoplastic anemia. He later developed hepatic, renal, and exocrine pancreatic dysfunction. At the age of 5 years he developed visual impairment, tremor, ataxia, proximal muscle weakness, external ophthalmoplegia, and a pigmentary retinopathy (Kearns-Sayre syndrome). Muscle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of mitochondrial myopathy. Analysis of mtDNA from leukocytes and muscle showed mtDNA heteroplasmy in both tissues, with one population of mtDNA deleted by 4.9 kb. The deleted region was bridged by a 13-nucleotide sequence occurring as a direct repeat in normal mtDNA. Both Pearson syndrome and Kearns-Sayre syndrome have been noted to be associated with deletions of mtDNA; they have not previously been described in the same patient. These observations indicate that the two disorders have the same molecular basis; the different phenotypes are probably determined by the initial proportion of deleted mtDNAs and modified by selection against them in different tissues.

Anemia, Sideroblastic↗

Congenital encephalomyopathy and adult-onset myopathy and diabetes mellitus: different phenotypic associations of a new heteroplasmic mtDNA tRNA glutamic acid mutation.

We report the clinical, biochemical, and molecular genetic findings in a family with an unusual mitochondrial disease phenotype harboring a novel mtDNA tRNA glutamic acid mutation at position 14709. The proband and his sister presented with congenital myopathy and mental retardation and subsequently developed cerebellar ataxia. Other family members had either adult-onset diabetes mellitus with muscle weakness or adult-onset diabetes mellitus alone. Ragged-red and cytochrome c oxidase (COX)-negative fibers were present in muscle biopsies. Biochemical studies of muscle mitochondria showed reduced complex I and IV activities. The mtDNA mutation was heteroplasmic in blood and muscle in all matrilineal relatives analyzed. Primary myoblast, but not fibroblast, cultures containing high proportions of mutant mtDNA exhibited impaired mitochondrial translation. These observations indicate that mtDNA tRNA point mutations should be considered in the differential diagnosis of congenital myopathy. In addition they illustrate the diversity of phenotypes associated with this mutation in the same family and further highlight the association between mtDNA mutations and diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗

mtDNA variation in the Chibcha Amerindian Huetar from Costa Rica.

The genetic variation in a Chibcha-speaking Amerindian tribe from lower Central America, the Huetar, was analyzed using nucleotide sequences of the hypervariable segments of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, the frequencies of 10 Amerindian-specific mtDNA haplotypes, and the regional distribution of private protein polymorphisms. The sequencing of 713 base pairs (bp) in the control regions of 27 individuals revealed 11 distinct lineages. These were defined by 24 variable sites and a 6-bp deletion between nucleotide pairs (np) 106 and 111. The 6-bp deletion is a new mtDNA marker that will be valuable for Amerindian taxonomic research. Control region sequences and mtDNA haplotype analyses reveal that Huetar mtDNAs are distributed in "Amerindian clusters" A, B, and D. A maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree suggests a single origin for the 6-bp Huetar deletion in the sample. mtDNA haplotype analysis and the presence of previously characterized private protein variants (PEPA*F, TF*DCHI, and the absence of DI*A) show that the Huetar harbor polymorphisms of considerable antiquity, suggesting an early divergence from the regional founder gene pool for this population. The data also reflect a drastic constriction in population size, an evolutionary event with a proposed central effect on Huetar genetic structure.

Base Sequence↗

COII/tRNA(Lys) intergenic 9-bp deletion and other mtDNA markers clearly reveal that the Tharus (southern Nepal) have Oriental affinities.

We searched for the East Asian mtDNA 9-bp deletion in the intergenic COII/tRNA(Lys) region in a sample of 107 Tharus (50 from central Terai and 57 from eastern Terai), a population whose anthropological origin has yet to be completely clarified. The deletion, detected by electrophoresis of the PCR-amplified nt 7392-8628 mtDNA fragment after digestion with HaeIII, was found in about 8% of both Tharu groups but was found in none of the 76 Hindus who were examined as a non-Oriental neighboring control population. A complete triplication of the 9-bp unit, the second case so far reported, was also observed in one eastern Tharu. All the mtDNAs with the deletion, and that with the triplication, were further characterized (by PCR amplification of the relevant mtDNA fragments and their digestion with the appropriate enzymes) to locate them in the Ballinger et al. phylogeny of East Asian mtDNA haplotypes. The deletion was found to be associated with four different haplotypes, two of which are reported for the first time. One of the deletions and especially the triplication could be best explained by the assumption of novel length-change events. Ballinger's classification of East Asian mtDNA haplotypes is mainly based on the phenotypes for the DdeI site at nt 10394 and the AluI site at nt 10397. Analysis of the entire Tharu sample revealed that more than 70% of the Tharus have both sites, the association of which has been suggested as an ancient East Asian peculiarity. These results conclusively indicate that the Tharus have a predominantly maternal Oriental ancestry. Moreover, they show at least one and perhaps two further distinct length mutations, and this suggests that the examined region is a hot spot of rearrangements.

Asian People↗

Platelet-mediated transformation of mtDNA-less human cells: analysis of phenotypic variability among clones from normal individuals--and complementation behavior of the tRNALys mutation causing myoclonic epilepsy and ragged red fibers.

In the present work, we demonstrate the possibility of using human blood platelets as mitochondrial donors for the repopulation of mtDNA-less (rho 0) cells. The noninvasive nature of platelet isolation, combined with the prolonged viability of platelet mitochondria and the simplicity and efficiency of the mitochondria-transfer procedure, has substantially increased the applicability of the rho 0 cell transformation approach for mitochondrial genetic analysis and for the study of mtDNA-linked diseases. This approach has been applied to platelets from several normal human individuals and one individual affected by the myoclonic-epilepsy-and-ragged-red-fibers (MERRF) encephalomyopathy. A certain variability in respiratory capacity was observed among the platelet-derived rho 0 cell transformants from a given normal subject, and it was shown to be unrelated to their mtDNA content. The results of sequential transfer of mitochondria from selected transformants into a rho 0 cell line different from the first rho 0 acceptor strongly suggest that this variability reflected, at least in part, differences in nuclear gene content and/or activity among the original recipient cells. A much greater variability in respiratory capacity was observed among the transformants derived from the MERRF patient and was found to be related to the presence and amount of the mitochondrial tRNALys mutation associated with the MERRF syndrome. An analysis of the relationship between proportion of mtDNA carrying the MERRF mutation and degree of respiratory activity in various transformants derived from the MERRF patient revealed an unusual complementation behavior of the tRNALys mutation, possibly reflecting the distribution of mutant mtDNA among the platelet mitochondria.

Adult↗