Comprehensive analysis of common and rare mitochondrial DNA variants in elite Japanese athletes: a case-control study

The purpose of the present study was to identify mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms and rare variants that associate with elite Japanese athletic status. Subjects comprised 185 elite Japanese athletes who had represented Japan at international competitions (that is, 100 endurance/middle-power athletes: EMA; 85 sprint/power athletes: SPA) and 672 Japanese controls (CON). The entire mtDNA sequences (16 569 bp) were analyzed by direct sequencing. Nucleotide variants were detected at 1488 sites in the 857 entire mtDNA sequences. A total of 311 variants were polymorphisms (minor allele frequency 1% in CON), and the frequencies of these polymorphisms were compared among the three groups. The EMA displayed excess of seven polymorphisms, including subhaplogroup D4e2- and D4g-specific polymorphisms, compared with CON (P<0.05), whereas SPA displayed excess of three polymorphisms and dearth of nine polymorphisms, including haplogroup G- and subhaplogroup G2a-specific polymorphisms, compared with CON (P<0.05). The frequencies of 10 polymorphisms, including haplogroup G- and subhaplogroup G2a-specific polymorphisms, were different between EMA and SPA (P<0.05): although none of these polymorphisms differed significantly between groups after correcting for multiple comparison (false discovery rate q-value 0.05). The number of rare variants in the 12S ribosomal RNA and NADH dehydrogenase subunit I genes were also higher in SPA than in CON (P<0.05). Analysis of the entire mtDNA of elite Japanese athletes revealed several haplogroup- and subhaplogroup-specific polymorphisms to be potentially associated with elite Japanese athletic status.