A study carried out by the Max Planck Institute in Cologne (Germany) has revealed that the way we age is conditioned by the DNA inherited from our mother and not only by our habits or way of life. This finding demonstrates that the dysfunctions developed in our genome over time are not determinants of our longevity, and it lays the foundations for the development of palliatives for mutations transmitted by maternal inheritance.
The scientists experimented for five years with mice carrying inherited and acquired dysfunctions during their lifetime, as well as healthy mice. The results showed that mice with inherited mitochondrial dysfunctions showed more signs of aging and lower fertility, which reveals that the alterations present in maternal DNA, no matter how small, largely condition the development of pathologies during old age. They also showed that the combination of inherited and non-inherited dysfunctions can lead to malformations in the brain.
Mitochondrial DNA is located outside the nucleus of cells and is always maternally inherited since survival during fertilization of the mitochondria of sperm is rare. This component is responsible for the transmission of incurable genetic diseases that especially affect the organs and tissues with greater energy needs such as the brain, heart, pancreas or kidneys.
The finding will serve as a starting point for the development of drugs that reduce mitochondrial toxicity. However, scientists emphasize that genetic predisposition does not exclude the need to lead a healthy lifestyle that mitigates the effects of cellular aging.
