Mitochondria: A Microcosm of Darwinian Competition

Bryan L Gitschlag; Maulik R Patel

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.024

Mitochondria: A Microcosm of Darwinian Competition

Curr Biol. 2019 Dec 16;29(24):R1316-R1318. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.024.

Authors

Bryan L Gitschlag¹, Maulik R Patel²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
² Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. Electronic address: maulik.r.patel@vanderbilt.edu.

Abstract

Resource limitation underlies competition in the living world, even between intracellular populations of mitochondria. A new study shows that reducing the availability of an essential cellular resource, namely the enzyme that replicates mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), can alter the selective advantage of one mtDNA type over another.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

DNA Polymerase gamma
DNA, Mitochondrial*
Genome
Mitochondria / genetics*
Mutation

Substances

DNA, Mitochondrial
DNA Polymerase gamma

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding