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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines

Published on: March 17, 2023

Mitochondrial capture by a transmissible cancer.

Clare A Rebbeck¹, Armand M Leroi, Austin Burt

¹Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|January 22, 2011

Summary

Canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT), a unique infectious cancer, periodically acquires host mitochondria. This occurs because the cancer

Area of Science:

Veterinary Oncology
Evolutionary Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

Canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is a clonal, naturally occurring cancer that is transmitted as a living cell between dogs.
CTVT is one of the oldest known cancer lineages, originating approximately 10,000 years ago.
The unique biology of CTVT provides insights into cancer evolution and host-pathogen interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the evolutionary history and genetic mechanisms underlying CTVT.
To explore the role of mitochondrial dynamics in the adaptation and persistence of CTVT.
To understand how CTVT maintains its viability and infectivity over long periods.

Main Methods:

Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences.

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Comparative genomics of CTVT samples and host canids (dogs and wolves).

Mitochondrial function and degeneration assays.

Main Results:

Phylogenetic analyses revealed that CTVT has acquired host mitochondria on multiple occasions throughout its history.
CTVT's own mitochondria exhibit high mutation rates and relaxed selection, leading to degeneration.
Host-derived mitochondria appear to be more functionally fit, facilitating cancer cell survival.

Conclusions:

CTVT's ability to acquire and utilize host mitochondria is a key adaptation for its long-term survival and transmission.
Mitochondrial degeneration in CTVT highlights the evolutionary pressures on cancer cell organelles.
Understanding these mechanisms could inform strategies against transmissible cancers.