Rew D A
Consultant Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Royal South Hants Cancer Centre, Southampton, SO14 0YG, UK.
Eur J Surg Oncol. 2001 Mar;27(2):209-11. doi: 10.1053/ejso.2000.1087.
Mitochondrial DNA is a small, well characterized chromosome which is transmitted across the generations in the maternal lineage, independently of nuclear DNA. mtDNA acts in effect as a robust, species specific biological clock and tracer which can be used to follow the evolution and spread by geographic migration of populations from their origins. Mutations in mtDNA cause specific maternally hereditable diseases, and can be used for forensic purposes. They are not specifically implicated in neoplasia, but they may provide clues as to the nature and origins of cancer susceptibility in various populations.
线粒体DNA是一种小型的、特征明确的染色体，它通过母系谱系代代相传，独立于核DNA。实际上，线粒体DNA起着强大的、物种特异性的生物钟和追踪器的作用，可用于追踪种群从起源地开始的进化以及通过地理迁移的扩散情况。线粒体DNA突变会导致特定的母系遗传性疾病，还可用于法医鉴定。它们与肿瘤形成并无特定关联，但可能为不同人群癌症易感性的本质和起源提供线索。
