Mitochondrial Research Group, Newcastle University Centre for Brain Ageing and Vitality, Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE2 4HH, UK.
Essays Biochem. 2010;47:139-51. doi: 10.1042/bse0470139.
From their very beginning to the present day, mitochondria have evolved to become a crucial organelle within the cell. The mitochondrial genome encodes only 37 genes, but its compact structure and minimal redundancy results in mutations on the mitochondrial genome being an important cause of genetic disease. In the present chapter we describe the up-to-date knowledge about mitochondrial DNA structure and function, and describe some of the consequences of defective function including disease and aging.
从诞生之初到现在，线粒体已经进化成为细胞内的一个关键细胞器。线粒体基因组仅编码 37 个基因，但由于其紧凑的结构和最小的冗余性，线粒体基因组的突变是遗传疾病的重要原因。在本章中，我们描述了线粒体 DNA 结构和功能的最新知识，并描述了一些功能缺陷的后果，包括疾病和衰老。
