Circular DNA 5 to 6 micrometres long from a mitochondrion, the site of synthesis of chemical energy within the cell (Image: Alain Pol, ISM/Science Photo Library)
GENE hunters looking for the causes of strokes and other common diseases may have been looking in the wrong place. It seems that common mutations in the DNA of mitochondria, tiny structures that form the energy powerhouses of cells, may protect people against strokes, and play a role in Parkinson’s and other complex diseases.
Until now mitochondrial DNA has only been associated with a few, rare disorders: catastrophic mutations can cause diseases such as…
