Dads, not just moms, can pass along mitochondrial DNA
In rare cases, kids can inherit the energy-producing organelles from fathers, a study finds
By
Tina Hesman Saey
6:00am, December 3, 2018
Some dads have broken a textbook genetic rule. Fathers in three unrelated families passed mitochondria — tiny energy factories found in cells — on to their children, researchers report.
Scientists have long thought that children inherited mitochondria exclusively from their mothers, since mitochondria from the father’s sperm are usually destroyed after fertilizing the egg (SN: 1/1/00, p. 5). The new research, published online November 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that in rare cases dads can contribute mitochondria too. For now, the consequences of inheriting mitochondria from both parents aren’t known.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/dads-not-just-moms-can-pass-along-mitochondrial-dna
