mitochondrial DNA

Also known as mtDNA, mDNA, mitochondrial DNAs, mtDNAs, DNA, Mitochondrial, mitogenome

DNA located in organelles called mitochondria

AI overview

Mitochondria are tiny structures inside our cells that contain their own DNA, separate from the DNA in the cell nucleus. This mitochondrial DNA is important because mitochondria generate the energy our cells need to function, making it essential for life.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

In the Vinony graph

Vinony's link graph records 2,840 inbound references to mitochondrial DNA, and connects out to mitochondrion, eukaryote and embryo.

Vinony files it under DNA, Mitochondrial genetics and Senescence.

Vinony links it to 58 Wikipedia language editions.

Research

114,200 papers

Mitochondrial DNA Integrity: Role in Health and Disease.ReviewCells · 2019Sharma P, Sampath HDOI: 10.3390/cells8020100
Structure, mechanism, and regulation of mitochondrial DNA transcription initiation.ReviewThe Journal of biological chemistry · 2020Basu U, Bostwick AM, Das K et al.DOI: 10.1074/jbc.REV120.011202
Mitochondrial DNA Analysis.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2023Cooley AMDOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3295-6_20
Mitochondrial DNA damage, repair, and replacement in cancer.ReviewTrends in cancer · 2025Vodicka P, Vodenkova S, Danesova N et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2024.09.010
Mitochondrial DNA Instability in Mammalian Cells.ReviewAntioxidants & redox signaling · 2022Carvalho G, Repolês BM, Mendes I et al.DOI: 10.1089/ars.2021.0091
Mitochondrial DNA signals driving immune responses: Why, How, Where?ReviewCell communication and signaling : CCS · 2025Giordano L, Ware SA, Lagranha CJ et al.DOI: 10.1186/s12964-025-02042-0
Mitochondrial DNA maintenance defects.ReviewBiochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular basis of disease · 2017El-Hattab AW, Craigen WJ, Scaglia FDOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.02.017
Enzymology of mitochondrial DNA repair.ReviewThe Enzymes · 2019Alencar RR, Batalha CMPF, Freire TS et al.DOI: 10.1016/bs.enz.2019.06.002

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Mitochondrial DNA en.svg

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Mitochondrial DNA
time of discovery or invention: 1963-00-00
short name: mtDNA

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~38 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Mitochondrial DNA is the small circular chromosome found inside mitochondria. These organelles, found in most eukaryotic cells, are the powerhouse of the cell. The mitochondria, and thus mitochondrial DNA, are passed exclusively from mother to offspring through the egg cell.

Illustration of the location of mitochondrial DNA in human cells Electron microscopy reveals mitochondrial DNA in discrete foci. Bars: 200 nm. (A) Cytoplasmic section after immunogold labelling with anti-DNA; gold particles marking mtDNA are found near the mitochondrial membrane (black dots in the upper right). (B) Whole mount view of cytoplasm after extraction with CSK buffer and immunogold labelling with anti-DNA; mtDNA (marked by gold particles) resists extraction. From Iborra et al., 2004.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “mitochondrial DNA” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.