Search PubMedSearch

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “mitochondrial DNA”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Rapid evolution of animal mitochondrial DNA.

Mitochondrial DNA was purified from four species of higher primates (Guinea baboon, rhesus macaque, guenon, and human) and digested with 11 restriction endonucleases. A cleavage map was constructed for the mitochondrial DNA of each species. Comparison of the maps, aligned with respect to the origin and direction of DNA replication, revealed that the species differ from one another at most of the cleavage sites. The degree of divergence in nucleotide sequence at these sites was calculated from the fraction of cleavage sites shared by each pair of species. By plotting the degree of divergence in mitochondrial DNA against time of divergence, the rate of base substitution could be calculated from the initial slope of the curve. The value obtained, 0.02 substitutions per base pair per million years, was compared with the value for single-copy nuclear DNA. The rate of evolution of the mitochondrial genome appears to exceed that of the single-copy fraction of the nuclear genome by a factor of about 10. This high rate may be due, in part, to an elevated rate of mutation in mitochondrial DNA. Because of the high rate of evolution, mitochondrial DNA is likely to be an extremely useful molecule to employ for high-resolution analysis of the evolutionary process.

Animals

Evolutionary aspects of variant types of rat mitochondrial DNA'S.

Mitochondrial DNA's (mtDNAs) were prepared from various kinds of individual Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, and from three types of individual black rats, Rattus rattus, (Asian type, Ceylon type, and Oceanian type). Intra- and interspecies divergence of their mtDNA sequences were calculated based on changes in restriction endonuclease cleavage sites. The extent of intraspecies divergence of black rats (about 8%) is much larger than that of Norway rats (1%) and the mtDNA of Asian-type black rats resembles the mtDNA of Norway rats more closely than it resembles the mtDNA of other types of black rats. These results strongly suggest that during the course of intraspecies differentiation of black rats, probably long after the separation of the three types of black rats, some Asian-type black rats were isolated sexually and formed a new species, Norway rats. On the basis of our observations we propose a hypothetical process to explain the evolution of animal mtDNA.

Animals

Specific cleavage analysis of mammalian mitochondrial DNA.

Mitochondrial DNA from several mammalian species has been digested with a site-specific restriction endonuclease (HaeIII) from Haemophilus aegyptius. A quantitative analysis of the resulting specific fragments indicates that the mtDNA of any individual mammal is predominantly a single molecular clone. Gel analysis of specific cleavage products has proven quite sensitive in detecting differences in mtDNA: mtDNAs from the more distantly related mammals studied (e.g., donkey and dog) are found to have few bands in common and very closely related mammals (e.g., donkey and horse) share only about 50% of their bands. This procedure has detected several intraspecies mtDNA differences. Six distinct human patterns have been found, with one pattern usually differing from another in two or three bands. mtDNAs from different organs of single individuals have also been analyzed, and no differences have been found.

Animals

The restriction endonuclease cleavage map of rat liver mitochondrial DNA.

Mitochondrial DNA from rat liver contains six sites for cleavage by the restriction endonucleases Hind III and EcoRI. A large stretch of DNA, comprising about 40% of the mitochondrial genome is not cleaved by either of the enzymes; eight cleavage sites are located on a DNA stretch of 35% of the genome length suggestive of an unequal distribution of the A - T baspairs over the molecule. The number of Hind III and Eco R I fragments is much higher than reported for other mammalian mitochondrial DNAs up to now.

Animals

Physicochemical characterization of Novikoff hepatoma mitochondrial DNA.

Mitochondrial DNA's (mtDNA) isolated from rat liver and the Novikoff hepatoma grown as both solid tumors and cells in monolayer culture were examined by a variety of physicochemical techniques. Buoyant densities in analytical CsCl equilibrium gradients and thermal denaturation profiles revealed no significant differences in base composition among the mtDNA's isolated from liver, tumor, and hepatoma cells. Sedimentation in neurtral and alkaline CsCl showed no differences in mtDNA size. However, tumor and hepatoma cell mtDNA's were slightly smaller and more heterogeneous in size than liver mtDNA when molecular contour lengths were measured in the electron microscope. Based on chemical determinations, neoplastic mitochondria contained four to five times more DNA per mitochondrion than liver. Also, electron microscopy showed the proportion of mtDNA in complex forms (catenated dimers and oligomers) to be much higher in tumor (18%) and hepatoma cells (15%) than liver (4%).

Animals

Mitochondrial DNA copy number and mitochondrial DNA deletion in adult and senescent rats.

In order to understand the cause of the reduced mitochondrial DNA transcription in heart and brain of senescent rat previously reported, we focused our attention on the content and structure of rat mitochondrial DNA in adult and senescent rats. The estimate of the mtDNA copy number in liver, heart and brain of adult and senescent rats showed that in all organs examined the senescent individuals have a mtDNA content higher than the adult counterparts. The analysis of mtDNA structural changes involved the search for point mutations and large deletions. As for the first case, the determination of the nucleotide sequence of many independent clones containing two mtDNA restriction fragments isolated from rat cerebral hemispheres did not show any sequence difference between adult and senescent individuals. However, analysis of mtDNA deletions by the polymerase chain reaction in liver and brain of adult and senescent rats identified a small population of mtDNA molecules harboring a deletion of 4834 bp. The estimate of the proportion of deleted molecules in the liver showed that they represent 0.02% and 0.0005% of total mtDNA in senescent and adult rat liver respectively. Therefore, a mtDNA deletion also accumulates in the rat during aging. This result supports the hypothesis of the accumulation of deleted mtDNA molecules in aging. However, the low percentage of deleted mtDNA molecules already found and the reversibility of the reduced mitochondrial DNA transcription in senescent rat raise doubts on the primary role of the irreversibly damaged mtDNA molecules in aging. Deleted mtDNA molecules along with changes caused by lipid peroxidation of mitochondrial membranes might contribute to the overall decline of mitochondrial function.

Aging

Regulation of yeast mitochondrial DNA synthesis. I. Analysis of a mutant conditionally deficient in mitochondrial DNA metabolism.

A single nuclear gene mutation has been isolated from strain 123.1C of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is conditionally deficient in mitochondrial DNA metabolism. Growth of the haploid in media containing dextrose, a repressing carbon source, at 36 degrees C causes the rapid cessation of mitochondrial DNA synthesis as analyzed by radioactive 3H-adenine incorporation into mitochondrial DNA. These cells continue to grow and divide giving rise to neutral petites which are devoid of mitochondrial DNA as measured by radioactive incorporation of 3H-adenine at the permissive temperature. Growth of the haploid cells in media containing glycerol, a non-repressing carbon source, at 36 degrees C does not prevent mitochondrial DNA synthesis, however, the population of cells becomes partially petite. When such petites are analyzed, they are found to be suppressive and to contain mitochondrial DNA as measured in the manner described above. The action of this mutated gene appears to involve the sunthetic aspects of mitochondrial DNA metabolism, as haploid cells prelabeled in dextrose media with 3H-adenine show no loss or degradation of mitochondrial DNA at the restrictive temperature of 36 degrees C.

Cold Temperature

Ultrastructural changes associated with reduced mitochondrial DNA and impaired mitochondrial function in the presence of 2'3'-dideoxycytidine.

Incubation of Molt-4 cells in 4 microM 2'3'-dideoxycytidine did not produce a significant change in the mitochondrial ultrastructure after 4 days; however, by 12 days, the mitochondrial ultrastructure was distorted, with condensed cristae or vacuolization, or both. Concentration-dependent decreases in both cell growth (mean 50% inhibitory concentration, 4.70 +/- 0.5 microM) and mitochondrial DNA content (mean 50% inhibitory concentration, 0.46 +/- 0.06 microM) occurred after incubation with 2'3'-dideoxycytidine for 4 days.

Cells, Cultured

Mitochondrial DNA content and mitochondrial gene transcriptional activities in the early development of loach and goldfish.

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content of the mature eggs and embryos of loach and goldfish at early developmental stages were detected by means of dot hybridization. The transcription of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and II (COI and COII) genes during their early development was also detected by Northern hybridization. The experimental results showed that the mtDNA content of the mature egg as well as that of the embryos during the period from fertilized egg up to hatching stage in both fishes is maintained at a constant level, giving an average value of 7.40 x 107 molecules or 1.33 ng for every embryo in loach and an average value of 1.87 x 10(8) molecules or 3.31 ng for every embryo in goldfish. In both fish embryos, the COI and COII transcripts declined gradually after fertilization until late-blastula stage and then increased in early gastrula stage. This indicated that the transcription of mitochondrial genomes of these two freshwater fishes, which belong to different families, might be activated at the beginning of gastrulation. The steady-state amounts of mitochondrial messenger transcripts existing in the embryos during the early development in both fishes seemed to be regulated by both their half-lives and the transcriptional level of the mitochondrial genomes. The results showed that the transcription of the mitochondrial genome in the early developmental process in loach and goldfish was not regulated by a gene dosage mechanism.

Animals

The structure of Tetrahymena pyriformis mitochondrial DNA. II. The complex structure of strain GL mitochondrial DNA.

1. Isolated mtDNA from Tetrahymena pyriformis strain GL is a linear duplex molecule with an average molecular weight of 32.6 - 10(6) and without internal gaps or breaks. Denaturation of this DNA results in single strands with a duplex hairpin at one end. The length of this hairpin varies between 0 and 5 micrometer within one preparation. 2. Uder renaturation conditions the single strands with hairpins are able to circularize in two ways, depending on the length of the hairpin. Circularization is also observed after partial digestion with exonuclease III of native strain GL mtDNA. 3. All these data fit a model (see Fig.2) in which the DNA is heterogeneous in length at both ends. At the left end a 10-micrometer duplication-inversion is present; part of this duplication-inversion is complementary to a region at the right end of the molecule. 4. The analogy between the structural peculiarities of strain GL mtDNA and of some linear viral DNAs is stressed.

Animals

In vitro replication of mitochondrial DNA. Elongation of the endogenous primer sequence in D loop mitochondrial DNA by human DNA polymerase beta.

Whe incubated in the presence of Mn2+ as the divalent metal activator, highly purified human DNA polymerase beta performs a selective and limited replication of KB cell closed circular mtDNA. On the basis of biochemical and electron microscopic analyses of the reaction product, we demonstrate that the polymerase specifically recognizes and elongates the 9 S primer sequence in D loop mtDNA and then proceeds to copy the displaced strand. The point at which the enzyme switches template strands is most likely that at which all negative superhelical turns have been removed and an energetically unfavorable introduction of positive superhelical turns would be required for further synthesis on the initial parental template strand. The product of the reaction is an enlarged D loop that has been converted to a duplex structure. This is the first description of the capacity of a pure eukaryotic DNA polymerase to replicate a naturally occurring, specifically initiated duplex DNA molecule. Our results suggest that this system may be particularly useful in developing an in vitro duplex circular DNA replication system with purified eukaryotic components.

Cell Line

Template specificity of rat mitochondrial DNA polymerase.

Mitochondrial DNA polymerase was purified 2300-fold over isolated mitochondria from rat liver. Template-primer specificities of this enzyme were investigated. Activated DNA was satisfactorily used as an active template-primer, but both native and denatured DNAs showed a slight activity. Synthetic polynucleotide, poly(dA) - oligo(dT)10 was found to have a high efficiency under the same condition for activated DNA. When the closed-circular, nicked and gapped Co1E1 DNAs were employed as a template-primer, the enzyme could only utilize the gapped DNA, indicating that the displacement synthesis was not catalyzed by the enzyme itself. The enzyme also copied poly(A) - oligo(dT)10 in high efficiency at pH 7.5 in the presence of MnCl2. Such RNA-directed DNA polymerase activity of the enzyme was further characterized. Cofractionated endouclease activity was completely separated from the enzyme by glycerol gradient centrifugation.

Animals

Biogenesis of mitochondria. XLII. Genetic analysis of the control of cellular mitochondrial DNA levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The proportion of total cell DNA which is mitochondrial DNA was measured in haploid, diploid and tetraploid strains of S. cerevisiae grown under a standard set of conditions. For all strains tested the mitochondrial DNA level was in the range 16%-25% of total cell DNA. Repeated measurements of the cellular level of mitochondrial DNA in two haploid strains showed that these strains have measurably different cellular mitochondrial DNA levels (17% and 24% of total DNA, respectively) under our conditions. These two grande strains were used to investigate the role of the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes in the regulation of the mitochondrial DNA level. We have shown by genetic analysis that the difference between these two strains is determined by at least two nuclear genes. The mitochondrial genome is not involved in the regulation of cellular mitochondrial DNA levels. A number of purified petite clones derived from independent spontaneous petite isolates of the grande strain which contained 24% mitochondrial DNA were also studied. The mitochondrial DNA levels in all but one of these petites fell in the range 20-25% of total cell DNA. From these results we conclude that, in general, the mitochondrial DNA level in petite strains is controlled by the same mechanism as operates in grande strains. We propose a general model for the control of the cellular mitochondrial DNA level, in which the amount of mitochondrial DNA per cell is determined by regulation of the number of mitochondrial DNA molecules per cell. This regulation is mediated through the availability of a set of nuclear coded components, possibly a mitochondrial membrane site, which are required for the replication of mitochondrial DNA.

Aneuploidy

A single-stranded DNA binding protein required for mitochondrial DNA replication in S. cerevisiae is homologous to E. coli SSB.

It has previously been shown that the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae becomes thermosensitive due to the inactivation of the mitochondrial DNA helicase gene, PIF1. A suppressor of this thermosensitive phenotype was isolated from a wild-type plasmid library by transforming a pif1 null strain to growth on glycerol at the non-permissive temperature. This suppressor is a nuclear gene encoding a 135 amino acid protein that is itself essential for mtDNA replication; cells lacking this gene are totally devoid of mtDNA. We therefore named this gene RIM1 for replication in mitochondria. The primary structure of the RIM1 protein is homologous to the single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) from Escherichia coli and to the mitochondrial SSB from Xenopus laevis. The mature RIM1 gene product has been purified from yeast extracts using a DNA unwinding assay dependent upon the DNA helicase activity of SV40 T-antigen. Direct amino acid sequencing of the protein reveals that RIM1 is a previously uncharacterized SSB. Antibodies against this purified protein localize RIM1 to mitochondria. The SSB encoded by RIM1 is therefore an essential component of the yeast mtDNA replication apparatus.

Amino Acid Sequence

Evidence for intramitochondrial complementation between deleted and normal mitochondrial DNA in some patients with mitochondrial myopathy.

Twenty-three patients with mitochondrial myopathies and mitochondrial DNA deletions in muscle were studied by means of deletion mapping and sequencing, histochemistry and polarography. Histochemistry showed significantly less focal cytochrome oxidase deficiency relative to number of ragged red fibres when the deletion did not involve reading frames for cytochrome oxidase subunits. Polarography in such patients showed defects exclusively involving complex I, in contrast to the others with larger deletions who generally had more diffuse respiratory chain defects. Analysis of other published histochemical data showed similar findings to our own. It is concluded that translation of a proportion of deleted mitochondrial DNAs occurs in at least some patients with mitochondrial DNA deletions, implying that deleted and normal mitochondrial genomes share transfer RNAs within mitochondria in such cases.

Base Sequence

The identification of apocytochrome b as a mitochondrial gene product and immunological evidence for altered apocytochrome b in yeast strains having mutations in the COB region of mitochondrial DNA.

The yeast mitochondrial translation product of Mr 30 000 is identical with apocytochrome b. After labelling in vivo with [35S]sulphate in the presence of cycloheximide, the radioactivity in this product present in solubilized submitochondrial particles, was completely recovered in pure cytochrome bc1 complex as a single polypeptide. We show that this translation product is identical with apocytochrome b using peptide mapping by limited proteolysis according to Cleveland et al. [J. Biol. Chem. 250 (1977) 8236-8242] and by immunoprecipitation with a specific antiserum against apocytochrome b. New mitochondrial translation products in 36 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae having mutations in the COB region of the mitochondrial DNA, are precipitated by this antiserum. This is consistent with the assumption that many of the cob mutations are localized in the structural gene for apolcytochrome b on mitochondrial DNA. Mutations in two intervening sequences can give rise to products related to apocytochrome b that are considerably longer than normal apocytochrome b. We discuss the hypothesis that in these mutants splicing of the messenger RNA does not occur correctly and that, as a consequence of this, ribosomes read through in an intervening sequence.

Apoproteins

Preferential digestion of (A plus T)-rich stretches of yeast mitochondrial DNA in isolated mitochondria.

Yeast mitochondrial DNA labelled in vitro by incubation of isolated mitochondria with DNA precursors exhibits skewed profiles on isopycnic CsCl gradients. The skew is not due to nuclear DNA nor to single-stranded mitochondrial DNA in the product labelled in vitro. Simultaneous labelling with [3H]dTTP and [14C]dGTP in vitro indicates a gradient of base composition in the DNA labelled in vitro. Thus, selective degradation of mitochondrial DNA occurs during incubation, converting large molecules having the mean density of mitochondrial DNA into smaller molecules of higher mean density and with higher G:T ratio. Similarly skewed distributions can also be produced by incubation of mitochondrial DNA labelled in vivo with the yeast mitochondrial fraction or with micrococcal endonuclease, an enzyme known to selectively hydrolyse (A plus T)-rich regions of DNA.

Adenine Nucleotides