Kowald A, Kirkwood TBL. Evolution of the mitochondrial fusion-fission cycle and its role in aging. PNAS 2011 (Epub before printing)
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Evolution of the mitochondrial fusion-fission cycle and its role in aging
Axel Kowalda,b,1 and Tom B. L. Kirkwoodb
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Author Affiliations
. aHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute for Biology, Theoretical Biophysics, 10115 Berlin, Germany; and
. bCentre for Integrated Systems Biology of Ageing and Nutrition, Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, United Kingdom
. Edited by Michael W. Gray, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, and accepted by the Editorial Board May 11, 2011 (received for review January 28, 2011)
Abstract
Author Affiliations
Abstract
Mitochondria are organelles of eukaryotic cells that contain their own genetic material and evolved from prokaryotic ancestors some 2 billion years ago. They are the main source of the cell's energy supply and are involved in such important processes as apoptosis, mitochondrial diseases, and aging. During recent years it also became apparent that mitochondria display a complex dynamical behavior of fission and fusion, the function of which is as yet unknown. In this paper we develop a concise theory that explains why fusion and fission have evolved, how these processes are related to the accumulation of mitochondrial mutants during aging, why the mitochondrial DNA has to be located close to the respiration complexes where most radicals are generated, and what selection pressures shaped the slightly different structure of animal and plant mitochondria. We believe that this "organelle control" theory will help in understanding key processes involved in the evolution of the mitochondrial genome and the aging process.
Footnotes
Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.