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Updated: Aug 17, 2026
High-Throughput Image-Based Quantification of Mitochondrial DNA Synthesis and Distribution
Published on: May 5, 2023
The increase of mitochondrial DNA content in endometrial adenocarcinoma cells: a quantitative study using
Yue Wang1, Vincent W S Liu, Wei-Cheng Xue
1Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Objective:
Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a frequent genetic event in the D-loop region (which controls mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication) of mitochondrial genome of endometrial cancer. We therefore investigated the relationship between mtMSI and mtDNA content in endometrial cancer.
Methods:
Tumor tissues from 65 cancer patients and normal tissues from 41 non-cancer patients were used in this study. Pure endometrial adenocarcinoma cells and normal endometrial glandular epithelial cells were collected by laser capture microdissection, and analyzed for levels of mtDNA copy number by real-time quantitative PCR.
Results:
Our data show that mtDNA copy number was not related with age in both endometrial cancer and normal endometrium cells. Great inter-individual variations in mtDNA copy number in endometrial cancer group were found; and mtDNA content was significantly larger than that in normal endometrium group. About 2-fold increase of mtDNA copy number was found in endometrial adenocarcinoma compared with normal endometrial glandular epithelium (P = 0.001). In particular, the analysis also shows that the copy number of mtDNA in the cases that carried the mtMSI at nucleotide position 303 was significantly higher than that of the negative cases (P = 0.048).
Conclusions:
Our data indicate that mtDNA copy number increased during endometrial cancer development. There is also a correlation between the mtDNA instability and mtDNA content in endometrial cancer cells. Role of mitochondrial genome changes in carcinogenesis warrants further investigation.
Insights
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number significantly increases in endometrial cancer. This elevated mtDNA content correlates with microsatellite instability (MSI) in the mitochondrial genome, suggesting a role in cancer development.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Oncology
- Mitochondrial Biology
Background:
- Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a common genetic alteration in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region of endometrial cancer.
- Mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a hallmark of cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between mitochondrial microsatellite instability (mtMSI) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content in endometrial cancer.
- To determine if mtDNA copy number changes during endometrial cancer development.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of tumor and normal tissues from 106 individuals (65 cancer patients, 41 controls).
- Isolation of pure endometrial adenocarcinoma and normal glandular epithelial cells using laser capture microdissection.
- Quantification of mtDNA copy number using real-time quantitative PCR.
Main Results:
- mtDNA copy number was not associated with patient age.
- Significantly higher mtDNA content was observed in endometrial cancer tissues compared to normal tissues (approximately 2-fold increase, P = 0.001).
- mtDNA copy number was significantly higher in cases with mtMSI at nucleotide position 303 compared to cases without mtMSI (P = 0.048).
Conclusions:
- mtDNA copy number increases during endometrial cancer progression.
- A correlation exists between mtDNA instability and mtDNA content in endometrial cancer cells.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the role of mitochondrial genome alterations in carcinogenesis.
