An energetic mutation

Abstract

For the first time, mutations in the mitochondrial genome have been shown to enhance tumourigenesis. John Petros and colleagues (Emory University School of Medicine, GA, USA) demonstrated the functional significance of mtDNA mutations from prostate cancer patients in reconstitution experiments. They found that a single base substitution in the ATP synthase subunit 6 gene increases cellular reactive oxygen (ROS) production, reduces cellular apoptosis, and enhances proliferation and tumourigenesis. The latter effects indeed might be mediated by ROS. Nevertheless, the researchers are puzzled as to how a single mutation in a single mitochondrial genome in a single cell can have such a profound effect.