The DNA communication that streams through the cell isn’t always a top-down affair, a matter of the nucleus issuing directives, in the form of DNA-coded templates, to other cellular components. Sometimes, the relatively lowly mitochondria issue directives—and the nucleus complies. According to a new study from the University of Southern California (USC), mitochondria use a bit of their DNA to encode a protein that can enter the nucleus and regulate the expression of nuclear DNA. This mitochondria-to-DNA messaging activates an antioxidant response, helping the cell cope with metabolic stress. In addition, this kind of messaging is of interest for a more general reason. It shows that the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes co-evolved to independently cross-regulate each other. Mitonuclear communication, the USC scientists speculate, may be genetically integrated. Understanding how DNA communication is hardwired into the cell will lead more researchers to appreciate the coordination of genes encoded ...
Original Article: Mitochondrial DNA Talks Back to Nuclear DNA