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The timing of mitochondrial DNA mutations in aging

Nature Genetics volume 43, pages 726–727 (2011)Cite this article

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Somatic mutations in mitochondrial DNA build up in aging tissues and are thought to contribute to physiological aging. Surprisingly, it is not known if these mutations occur early or late in life. A new study looks at mechanisms of accelerated mitochondrial aging in HIV-infected individuals treated with nucleoside analog anti-retroviral drugs and offers support for an early origin of mitochondrial DNA mutations.

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Figure 1: Schematic of plausible mechanisms of mutation expansion and development of mitochondrial deficiency in muscle fibers.

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Acknowledgements

K.K. is supported by the Ellison Foundation and US National Institutes of Health grants AG19787, NS058988 and AG035223. The author is indebted to Dr. Laura Greaves and Dr. Doug Turnbull of Newcastle University for comments on the manuscript and sharing their unpublished work.

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  1. Konstantin Khrapko is at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,

    Konstantin Khrapko

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  1. Konstantin Khrapko
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Correspondence to Konstantin Khrapko.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Khrapko, K. The timing of mitochondrial DNA mutations in aging. Nat Genet 43, 726–727 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.895

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