Mitochondrial DNA turnover occurs during preimplantation development and can be modulated by environmental factors

There is increasing evidence in humans that abnormal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is associated with common degenerative disorders of the twenty-first century. MtDNA is exclusively female in origin and abnormalities in mtDNA can either be inherited, or generated de novo by adverse environmental factors that disturb mitochondrial DNA synthesis or destabilize mtDNA. The preimplantation period of development in mammals was thought to be relatively immune from environmentally induced changes to mtDNA, since no replication of mtDNA was thought to occur at this stage. This study demonstrates that there is a very short period of mtDNA synthesis immediately after fertilization, which can be affected by environmental stress. Adverse culture conditions during this phase of development could therefore alter the mitochondrial genome, with possible long-term consequences for the health of the offspring. The findings have relevance for all assisted reproduction programmes and for the rapidly emerging field of stem cell technologies.