Mutations in mitochondrial DNA respond only to selection acting on females, theoretically allowing harmful male-specific mutations to accumulate in the mitochondrial genome: a phenomenon previously termed the 'mother's curse'. This paper presents experimental evidence from Drosophila melanogaster indicating that mitochrondrial genomes carry numerous variants dispersed across the genome that affect male-specific patterns of ageing. The authors suggest that the mitochondrial genome is a 'hotspot' for mutations that influence these sex-specific differences in ageing and that mitochondrial genetic variation may influence the patterns of sexual dimorphism observed in ageing across animals.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Camus, M. F. et al. Mitochondria, maternal inheritance, and male aging. Curr. Biol. 22, 1–5 (2012)Article
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jones, B. Mitochondrial mutations may explain why women live longer than men. Nat Rev Genet 13, 598 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3324
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3324