Article
The inheritance of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy: random drift, selection or both?
Trends in genetics : TIG - 1 Nov 2000
Chinnery P F, Thorburn D R, Samuels D C, White S L, Dahl H M, Turnbull D M, Lightowlers R N, Howell N
Abstract excerpt
The mammalian mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is a small double-stranded DNA molecule that is exclusively transmitted down the maternal line. Pathogenic mtDNA mutations are usually heteroplasmic, with a mixture of mutant and wild-type mtDNA within the same organism. A woman harbouring one of these mutations transmits a variable amount of mutant mtDNA to each offspring. This can result in a healthy child or an infant...
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