It's one of the basic tenets of biology: We get our DNA from our mom and our dad. But one notable exception has perplexed scientists for decades: Most animals, including humans, inherit the DNA inside their mitochondria -;the cell's energy centers – from their mothers alone, with all traces of their father's mitochondrial genome destroyed the moment sperm joins egg. A new University of Colorado Boulder study published Oct.
4 in the journal Science Advances sheds new light on why this happens, showing that when the process fails, and paternal mitochondria slips into a developing embryo, it can lead to lasting neurological, behavioral and reproductive problems in adults. The study, conducted in roundworms, offers new clues about what may drive some mitochondrial disorders, which hinder the body's ability to produce energy and collectively impact about one in 5,000 people. It also presents a novel approach for potentially preventing or treating them – a simple vitamin known as Vitamin K2.
These findings provide important new insights into why paternal mitochondria must be swiftly removed during early development. They also offer new hope for treatment of human diseases that may be caused when this process is compromised." Ding Xue, senior author, professor, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB), University of Colorado Boulder When cellular batteries run low Often described as cellular batteries, mitochondria produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), .
