Age dependency of mitochondrial DNA decrease differs in different tissues of rat.
Mitochondrial DNA contents were measured using non-radioactive DNA probes for specific mtDNA sequences. The nuclear repetitive DNA sequence, LINE, was used as an internal standard marker. Age-dependent decreases in the mtDNA/nucDNA ratio in rat hepatic cells were confirmed with this method and, furthermore, a similar decrease was found in cardiac muscles. On the other hand, in thigh skeletal muscles such a decrease was not observed, slight increases being rather found in 18- to 24-month-old rats. The possible relationship of the decrease in mtDNA and the mechanism underlying animal senescence was discussed.
Asano
K
K
College of Medical Technology, Kyoto University.
Nakamura
M
M
Sato
T
T
Tauchi
H
H
Asano
A
A
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015342:DNA Probes; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000378:metabolism*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D015342:DNA Probes; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005819:Genetic Markers