Mitochondrial Genome Transfer to Tumor Cells Breaks The Rules and Establishes a New Precedent in Cancer Biology

Michael V Berridge; Carole Crasso; Jiri Neuzil

doi:10.1080/23723556.2015.1023929

Mitochondrial Genome Transfer to Tumor Cells Breaks The Rules and Establishes a New Precedent in Cancer Biology

Mol Cell Oncol. 2018 May 9;5(5):e1023929. doi: 10.1080/23723556.2015.1023929. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Michael V Berridge¹, Carole Crasso¹, Jiri Neuzil^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology Group; Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Wellington, New Zealand.
² Mitochondria, Apoptosis and Cancer Research Group; School of Medical Science and Griffith Health Institute; Griffith University, Southport, Qld, Australia.
³ Molecular Therapy Group; Institute of Biotechnology Institute of Molecular Genetics; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Prague, Czech Republic.

Abstract

Horizontal gene transfer is known to occur in bacteria and archaea whereas higher organisms including mammals undergo vertical transfer. Our recent results demonstrate horizontal transfer of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from normal host cells to tumor cells lacking mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). This mtDNA migration results in recovery of respiration, restored tumor initiation, and metastasis.

Keywords: intercellular DNA transfer; metastasis; mitochondrial DNA deletion; respiration; tumor growth.

Grants and funding

MVB and CG were supported by the Malaghan Institute. JN was supported, in part, by funding from the Australian Research Council, the Czech Science Foundation (P301/10/1937), and the BIOCEV European Regional Development Fund (CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0109).