Mito-nuclear interactions modify Drosophila exercise performance

Endurance exercise has received increasing attention as a broadly preventative measure against age-related disease and dysfunction. Improvement of mitochondrial quality by enhancement of mitochondrial turnover is thought to be among the important molecular mechanisms underpinning the benefits of exercise. Interactions between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes are important components of the genetic basis for variation in longevity, fitness and the incidence of disease. Here, we examine the effects of replacing the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of several Drosophila strains with mtDNA from other strains, or from closely related species, on exercise performance. We find that mitochondria from flies selected for longevity increase the performance of flies from a parental strain. We also find evidence that mitochondria from other strains or species alter exercise performance, with examples of both beneficial and deleterious effects. These findings suggest that both the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, as well as interactions between the two, contribute significantly to exercise capacity.