THE MITOREP PROJECT
Investigates different mitochondrial replacement techniques in zebrafish.
Combines the expertise of different scientific fields: Fish Biology, Medical Genetics, and Evolutionary Biology.
Studies the cooperation of nuclei and mitochondria in different strains of zebrafish and in different species of the genus Danio.
Studies the dynamics of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy (coexistence of different types of mtDNA) at different ontogenetic stages, in different tissues and the inheritance of heteroplasmy.
Expected results
The main expected results are summarized in the answers to the following questions:
Can mitochondrial replacement be performed in zebrafish eggs using the same techniques as in human oocytes?
How can we separate a specific nuclear background from its mitochondrial counterparts in zebrafish?
What are the effects of mitochondrial-nuclear cooperation on the fitness of individual zebrafish?
What is the distribution of mtDNA heteroplasmy at different ontogenetic stages?
Is the distribution of heteroplasmy in different tissues random or not?
Is heteroplasmy inherited? And if so, is it random or selective?