Localization of abasic sites and single-strand breaks in mitochondrial DNA from brain of aged rat, treated or not with caloric restriction diet

Neurochem Res. 2008 Dec;33(12):2609-14. doi: 10.1007/s11064-008-9866-7. Epub 2008 Oct 23.

Abstract

According to the "mitochondrial theory of aging" the lifelong accumulation of various kinds of damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been related to the age-dependent mitochondrial bioenergetic dysfunction. Caloric restriction (CR) diet is able to prevent or delay the onset of several age-related damages to mtDNA. The effects of aging and CR on the presence of abasic sites and single-strand breaks of the sugar-phosphate backbone in mtDNA have been analyzed by applying Ligation Mediated-PCR to a H strand region of brain mtDNA from young and old ad libitum-fed and old CR-treated rats. The region, encompassing the Direct Repeat 1 of the 4,834 bp-long deletion, is highly damaged in the old ad libitum-fed animals with respect to the young ones, whereas in the CR rats it shows a much lower extent of damage. The data confirm, at single nucleotide resolution, the protective effect of CR on the age-related mtDNA damage.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Autoradiography
  • Base Sequence
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Caloric Restriction*
  • DNA Damage*
  • DNA Primers
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred F344

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • DNA, Single-Stranded