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Mitochondrial DNA damage during the stationary phase growth model of aging in Saccharomyces cereviseae
Author(s) -
ArroyoTorres Yaria,
AquinoVentura Jacqueline,
FonsecaWilliams Sharon,
AyalaTorres Sylvette,
TorresRamos Carlos A.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.831.16
The mitochondrial theory of aging postulates that the time‐dependent accumulation of damaged macromolecules induced by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes aging. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is particularly susceptible to ROS‐induced damage because of its close proximity to the electron transport chain, the lack of protective histones, and the limited DNA repair mechanisms within mitochondria. We hypothesize that mtDNA damage accumulates in the stationary phase model of yeast aging. To test this hypothesis we determined the levels of mtDNA damage in yeast cells maintained in stationary phase growth by applying a gene‐specific PCR‐based method (QPCR). The results of these experiment show that mtDNA lesions increased as a function of time (from 1.1‐lesions/10 kb/strand, one week after initiating stationary growth to 4.1‐lesions/10 kb/strand after four weeks of stationary growth). Moreover, the lesions appeared well before the loss of viability associated with stationary phase growth aging. These results suggest that mtDNA damage may be limiting the survival of yeast cells during stationary phase conditions. Sponsored by R25GM061838 and G12RR03051.