[Mitochondrial genetics and human essential hypertension].
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exhibits matrilineal inherence. Familial mitochondrial diseases caused by mtDNA mutations are generally involved in organs featuring high energy consumption, which include heart, brain and skeletal muscle. Recently, it has been found that some essential hypertension patients featured classical maternal inheritance, which has confirmed and enriched mtDNA mutations as one of the molecular mechanisms underlying maternally inherited hypertension. Nevertheless, more general as well as radical questions are still to be answered. This article reviews recent advance in mitochondrial genome evolution, mtDNA genetics and the role of mtDNA mutations in maternally inherited hypertension.
Attardi Institute of Mitochondrial Biomedicine, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P. R. China.
Hong
H
Chen
Min-xin
MX
Guan
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial