Elevated mitochondrial DNA copy number found in ubiquinone-deficient clk-1 mutants is not rescued by ubiquinone precursor 2-4-dihydroxybenzoate.

ABSTRACT: Inside mitochondria reside semi-autonomous genomes, called mtDNA. mtDNA is multi-copy per cell and mtDNA copy number can vary from hundreds to thousands of copies per cell. The variability of mtDNA copy number between tissues, combined with the lack of variability of copy number within a tissue, suggest a homeostatic copy number regulation mechanism. Mutations in the gene encoding the Caenorhabditis elegans hydroxylase, CLK-1, result in elevated mtDNA. CLK-1's canonical role in ubiquinone biosynthesis results in clk-1 mutants lacking ubiquinone. Importantly, clk-1 mutants also exhibit slowed biological timing phenotypes (pharyngeal pumping, defecation, development) and an activated stress response (UPR^mt). These biological timing and stress phenotypes have been attributed to ubi

SUBMITTER: Kirby CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8113126 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature