title: Regional variation in mitochondrial DNA copy number in mouse brain.
abstract: Mitochondria have their own DNA (mitochondrial DNA [mtDNA]). Although mtDNA copy number is dependent on tissues and its decrease is associated with various neuromuscular diseases, detailed distribution of mtDNA copies in the brain remains uncertain. Using real-time quantitative PCR assay, we examined regional variation in mtDNA copy number in 39 brain regions of male mice. A significant regional difference in mtDNA copy number was observed (P<4.8×10(-35)). High levels of mtDNA copies were found in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra, two major nuclei containing dopaminergic neurons. In contrast, cerebellar vermis and lobes had significantly lower copy numbers than other regions. Hippocampal dentate gyrus also had a relatively low mtDNA copy number. This study is the first quantitative analysis of regional variation in mtDNA copy number in mouse brain. Our findings are important for the physiological and pathophysiological studies of mtDNA in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuke
authors.forename: Mie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubota-Sakashita
authors.forename: Takaoki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Yasufumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shigeyoshi
authors.forename: Tadafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D018628:Gene Dosage; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial