학술논문

Mitochondrial DNA somatic mutation burden and heteroplasmy are associated with chronological age, smoking, and HIV infection
Document Type
Report
Source
Aging Cell. August 13, 2019, Vol. 18 Issue 6
Subject
Genetic aspects
Health aspects
Genetic research -- Genetic aspects -- Health aspects
HIV infections -- Genetic aspects
Smoking -- Genetic aspects
Gene mutation -- Health aspects -- Genetic aspects
HIV -- Genetic aspects
Virus diseases -- Genetic aspects
Smokers -- Health aspects
Mitochondrial DNA -- Health aspects
HIV (Viruses) -- Genetic aspects
Gene mutations -- Health aspects -- Genetic aspects
HIV infection -- Genetic aspects
Language
English
ISSN
1474-9718
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mitochondria contain their own DNA, which code for 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and 13 proteins that are essential components of the electron transport chain. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, whether [...]
: The gradual accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is implicated in aging and may contribute to the accelerated aging phenotype seen with tobacco smoking and HIV infection. mtDNA mutations are thought to arise from oxidative damage; however, recent reports implicate polymerase γ errors during mtDNA replication. Investigations of somatic mtDNA mutations have been hampered by technical challenges in measuring low‐frequency mutations. We use primer ID‐based next‐generation sequencing to quantify both somatic and heteroplasmic blood mtDNA point mutations within the D‐loop, in 164 women and girls aged 2–72 years, of whom 35% were smokers and 56% were HIV‐positive. Somatic mutations and the occurrence of heteroplasmic mutations increased with age. While transitions are theorized to result from polymerase γ errors, transversions are believed to arise from DNA oxidative damage. In our study, both transition and transversion mutations were associated with age. However, transition somatic mutations were more prevalent than transversions, and no heteroplasmic transversions were observed. We also measured elevated somatic mutations, but not heteroplasmy, in association with high peak HIV viremia. Conversely, heteroplasmy was higher among smokers, but somatic mutations were not, suggesting that smoking promotes the expansion of preexisting mutations rather than de novo mutations. Taken together, our results are consistent with blood mtDNA mutations increasing with age, inferring a greater contribution of polymerase γ errors in mtDNA mutagenesis. We further suggest that smoking and HIV infection both contribute to the accumulation of mtDNA mutations, though in different ways.