In a new study, researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science examined how the interaction of two genomes in animal cells — the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes — interact to affect adaptation of the Atlantic killifish to different temperatures. They showed that although these genomes are separate physical entities, the mitochondrial genome affects the evolution of the nuclear genome, the genetic material responsible for variations in most traits such as hair color and height. Interactions between these two genomes, which affect everything from health and physiology to fitness, have important consequences for human health and medical interventions such as mitochondrial replacement therapy in embryos.
“Our results suggest that metabolic fitness is not simply a function of the mitochondria but instead is reliant on mitochondrial–nuclear interactions and therefore important for our understanding of physiology, human health and evolution,” said Doug Crawford, professor of marine biology and ecology at the UM Rosenstiel School.