title: Mitochondrial DNA mutations as a fundamental mechanism in physiological declines associated with aging.
abstract: The hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA damage accumulates and contributes to aging was proposed decades ago. Only recently have technological advancements, which facilitate microanalysis of single cells or portions of cells, revealed that mtDNA deletion mutations and, perhaps, single nucleotide mutations accumulate to physiologically relevant levels in the tissues of various species with age. Although a link between single nucleotide mutations and physiological consequences in aging tissue has not been established, the accumulation of deletion mutations in skeletal muscle fibres has been associated with sarcopenia. Different, and apparently random, deletion mutations are specific to individual fibres. However, the mtDNA deletion mutation within a phenotypically abnormal region of a fibre is the same, suggesting a selection, amplification and clonal expansion of the initial deletion mutation. mtDNA deletion mutations within a muscle fibre are associated with specific electron transport system abnormalities, muscle fibre atrophy and fibre breakage. These data point to a causal relationship between mitochondrial DNA mutations and the age-related loss of muscle mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Jeong W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Pak
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herbst
authors.forename: Entela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bua
authors.forename: Nolan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gokey
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Judd M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Aiken
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004249:DNA Damage; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial