Mitochondrial DNA can be inherited from the father's side

Until now, we thought that it was possible to inherit mitochondrial DNA only from the mother. It is by examining this information that the parent is usually identified in the case of parental testing. The information is sometimes sometimes called Evin gene. However, according to the latest findings, the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA is not a privilege of the maternal gene.

Mitochondrial DNA is in our body separated from the rest of the genetic information. According to some discoveries, a certain group of mothers can be located thanks to this gene, considered as the origin of all humanity. But Shiyu Luo, from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, managed to convince himself of something else. And she wrote about a scientific study, which is now reduced by experts from the medical circle.

Luo met the case of a boy who suspected mitochondrial disease. The suspicions proved wrong, but after examining the samples taken from the boy's body, Luo, his colleagues and his parents remained in shock. About 40% of the mitochondrial data come from the mother of the mother and not from her mother. From there, the remaining 60% came.

After this discovery, Luo decided to test other families suffering from mitochondria-related diseases. Despite the fact that in most cases there was only the maternal gene, between the three families tested, there were only 17 cases where the mitochondrial DNA was affected by the gene of the Father. When a child is in the embryonic stage, the mitochondrial DNA of both parents is removed, but is eliminated paternally well before birth.

We still do not understand why nature has defined it that way, but it turned out that there are exceptions. If a woman has mutated mitchond DNA into her body, if only in a small proportion, there is very little chance of suffering from any kind of such illness. However, if this woman has a baby, the risk that her children will suffer from these diseases is very high.

Thoughts on paternal mitochondrial DNA have already occurred in the past. And they have even been supported by evidence. Later, however, they were rejected and considered a laboratory error precisely because of the very low probability of such a scenario.

iflscience.com