Abstract

Defects of mitochondrial function are often caused by defects of the mitochondrial genome. The hypothesis that defective organelles may spread through syncytial tissues as a result of a process of subcellular Darwinian selection is proposed. Tissues are likely to be involved in mitochondrial disease if they are syncytial, are derived from a few embryonic cells only, have little redundancy of function, and are subject to repeated metabolic stress. These effects, together with the random distribution of genetically heterogeneous mitochondria within the fertilised zygote, may account for the varied clinical pictures of mitochondrial disease. Evolution will have favoured the shift of mitochondrial DNA sequences to the nucleus, once the differentiation of tissues had created body compartments in which defective mitochondria could flourish to the detriment of the organism. This model of mitochondrial disease allows the generation of several predictions, testable using currently available laboratory techniques. Avenues of potential therapeutic value are indicated, including the avoidance of hypoglycaemia and the use of selective mitochondrial toxins.