Jones 1-4 Flashcards
What is the mtDNA structure?
Ds closed circle
No introns
16.6kb
What does mtDNA encode?
13 Polypeptides
22 tRNAs
2rRnas
What are the non-coding regions of mtDNA?
D-loop: displacement loop HSP LSP OH OL
What is the mitochondrial structure?
Double membrane
Cristae
Matrix:various proteins and nucleoids
What does mitochondrial transcription and replication depend on?
Intergenomic communication
What are the feature of the mitochondrial genome?
Vary in size Vary in presence of introns Variable copy number (20 - 200,000) Multiple genomes per organelle Ribosomes differ Variation in triplet code Bacterial origin
How is the electron transport chain formed?
Assembly of multiple polypeptides
Subunits from both genomes (13/90 mitochondrial)
Complex 2 is nuclear encoded
Genomes must effectively communicate and interact
Key features of MtDNA replication
Two origins of replication most genes are on H strand some on light Transcription starts from HSP and LSP TFs, co-factors, polymerases are nuclear encoded and depend on nuclear genome
Process of mtDNA replication
- TFAM binds LSP
- Complexes with other TFs
- Transcription of L strand generates a short primer for replication
- Transition from RNA to DNA on CSBs
- PolG is recruited
- Replication of H strand from HSP
What is PolG?
A mitochondrial DNA polymerase
What is TFAM?
Mitochondrial transcription factor A
Features of TFAM
Essential for mtDNA replication
Levels of TFAM may directly control mtDNA copy number
TFAM has an important packaging role and is the most abundant protein in mitochondrial nucleoids.
TFAM binding at the LSP and HSP forces the mtDNA into a U shape
This is structurally important for the activation of transcription from these two sites.
What do nucleoid proteins do?
Regulate the stability, replication, transcription and segregation of mtDNA
What did the Larson et al., 1998 study do?
Homo and heterozygous knockouts
What did the Larson et al., 1998 study conclude about heterozgotes?
Reduced mtDNA copy number
Reduced mtDNA transcription
ETC dysfunction
What did the Larson et al., 1998 study conclude about homozygotes?
No TFAM produced Severe mtDNA deletion OXPHOS abolished Enlarged mitochondria Growth retardation Early death - embryonic day E10.5
What did the Larson et al., 1998 study conclude?
TFAM essential for maintaining mtDNA copy umber and ETC function
How is there interplay between the nuclear genome and mtDNA?
Recognition site changes will affect the binding of transcription factors
Nuclear-encoded enzymes are required for mtDNA transcription and replication
Co-assembly of nuclear-encoded and mtDNA-encoded subunits of respiratory chain complexes
Majority of proteins that function in the mitochondria are nuclear encoded
Over 1000 nuclear-encoded products are essential to mitochondrial function
Some level of cross-species compatibility
How is mtDNA inherited in humans?
Uniparentally/maternally
How is mtDNA inherited in yeast?
Biparentally
get a heteroplasmic population that reverts to homoplasmy in 20 cycles
Why can yeast survive the loss of mitochondria?
They are faculative anaerobes
Why is there variation in mtDNA?
No parental recombination
Faster mutation rate (X10)
high variation in D loop
Why is the mutation rate faster in mtDNA?
No protective histones
lack of proofreading by PolG
high conc of free radicals generated by ETC
decreased level of repair
How does heteroplasmy arise?
age-related mutations
inheritance of a germ line mutation
introduction of foreign mitochondria to reconstructed embryos
What is the mt botleneck?
Parent population has a drastic reduction in population
Population of surviving individual is different
The next population is different
Theories for mt bottleneck? (3)
a) Passive reduction of mtDNA
Random segregation during cell division
Reduction in copy number through divisions
b) Packaging into homoplasmic clusters
Segregation of nucleoids or groups of nucleoids
c) Focal replication of mtDNA
Selective amplification of certain mtDNA molecules
Stewaret et al., 2008
Organism: Mouse
Purifying selection against non-synonymous mutation in proteins coding for genes of mtDNA
there is a mechanism for functional testing to prevent transmission of mutated genome
What were Wai’s conclusion
Selective amplification of certain mtDNAs occurs during ooycyte maturation
Heteroplasmy levels can change dramatically between generations.
Less mtDNA in primordial germ cells than ooycytes but unclear how much less
Lack of mtDNA replication during early embryogenesis
Selection of beneficial mtDNA variants over mutants
which theory of the mt bottleneck is correct?
No conclusion on which of these theories is correct
How is paternal mtDNA removed
Dilution effect
mtDNA copy number reduced during spermatogenesis in various organisms
Active degradation in fertilised ooycte
Nishimura et al,. 2006
Organism: Japenese meduka
Elimination of sperm mtDNA upon fertilisation
1. Gradual decrease on mitochondrial nucleoids during spermatogenesis
2. Rapid digestion of sperm upon fertilisation
mtDNA digestion before destruction of mitochondrial structures
De luca and O’Farrell, 2012
Organism: Drosophila melongaster
mtDNA is removed from sperm mitochondrion prior to fertilisation
1. Endonuclease G degrade nucleoids in sperm - removes mtDNA from mitochondria
2. Back up mechanism - Actin containing investment cone sweeps all nucleoids to the apical end into a waste bag
What happens to the level of mtDNA in the mature sperm compared to the spermatogonia?
they are reduced
What happens to sperm TFAM levels through development?
They are reduced