Cited by 3,185Mitochondrial Function and PathologyGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsAutophagy in Disease and Therapy

A Mitochondrial Paradigm of Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Aging, and Cancer: A Dawn for Evolutionary Medicine

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Wallace, Douglas C.·2005·Annual Review of Genetics

Abstract

Life is the interplay between structure and energy, yet the role of energy deficiency in human disease has been poorly explored by modern medicine. Since the mitochondria use oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to convert dietary calories into usable energy, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a toxic by-product, I hypothesize that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in a wide range of age-related disorders and various forms of cancer. Because mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is present in thousands of copies per cell and encodes essential genes for energy production, I propose that the delayed-onset and progressive course of the age-related diseases results from the accumulation of somatic mutations in the mtDNAs of post-mitotic tissues. The tissue-specific manifestations of these diseases may result from the varying energetic roles and needs of the different tissues. The variation in the individual and regional predisposition to degenerative diseases and cancer may result from the interaction of modern dietary caloric intake and ancient mitochondrial genetic polymorphisms. Therefore the mitochondria provide a direct link between our environment and our genes and the mtDNA variants that permitted our forbears to energetically adapt to their ancestral homes are influencing our health today.

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Crossref · 10.1146/annurev.genet.39.110304.095751

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259 of 259 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The high metabolic need of the brain cannot be met by glycolytic activity; neurons rely on the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation housed in mitochondria to produce ATP.

    “The high metabolic need of the brain cannot be met by glycolytic activity. Rather, neurons rely on the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation housed in mitochondria to produce ATP [72,120].”

    From Mitochondrial Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress and Alzheimer Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [120]

    The passage on energy-utilizing tissues (section labeled Abstract; no page given) includes the brain and describes mitochondrial ATP production, while another passage describes the mitochondrial TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. The paper does not say that glycolysis cannot meet the brain’s metabolic needs or establish that comparison specifically for neurons. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Mitochondrial oxidative stress is increased by the consumption of excess calories and leads to mitochondrial DNA damage.

    “Mitochondrial oxidative stress is increased by the consumption of excess calories and, in turn, it leads to mitochondrial DNA damage [120]”
  • The mitochondrial defect in telomere dysfunction becomes increasingly apparent under physiological stress or advanced age.

    “this mitochondrial defect in the setting of telomere dysfunction becomes increasingly apparent under conditions of physiological stress or advanced age2.”
  • Aged tissues accumulate mitochondrial DNA mutations that cause respiratory chain deficiency and increased reactive oxygen species.

    “Aged tissues show accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations causing respiratory chain deficiency and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS)2,4”
  • Calorie restriction moves the ETC away from a reduced state, lowers ROS production, induces OXPHOS and antioxidant defences, prevents age-related diseases, and increases lifespan.

    “By reducing the excess of ingested calories, calorie restriction interventions move the ETC away from a reduced state, lower ROS production, induce OXPHOS and antioxidant defences, prevent age-related diseases and increase lifespan14.”

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [2]Adams JU. Autophagy and longevity. How keeping house may keep one young. Scientist. 2005;19:22–24. [Google Scholar]
  2. [18]Bostwick DG, Alexander EE, Singh R, Shan A, Qian J, et al. Antioxidant enzyme expression and reactive oxygen species damage in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer. Cancer. 2000;89:123–34. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. [241]Wallace DC, Lott MT. 2002. Mitochondrial genes in degenerative diseases, cancer and aging. In Emery and Rimoin’s Principles and Practice of Medical Genetics, ed. DL Rimoin, JM Connor, RE Pyeritz, BR Korf, pp. 299–409. London: Churchill Livingstone
  4. [242]Wallace DC, Lott MT, Brown MD, Kerstann K. 2001. Mitochondria and neuro-ophthalmological diseases. In The Metabolic and Molecular Basis of Inherited Disease, ed. CR Scriver, AL Beaudet, WS Sly, D Valle, pp. 2425–512. New York: McGraw-Hill

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Authors
Wallace, D. C.
Affiliations
University of California, Irvine (US)
Corresponding author
Wallace, Douglas C.
Venue
Annual Review of Genetics
Published
2005-12-01
Volume
39
Issue
1
Pages
359-407
ISSN
  • 0066-4197 (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-2948
OpenAlex
W2105754268
Cited by
3,185
References
259
Citations by year
2026: 75 · 2025: 108 · 2024: 104 · 2023: 108 · 2022: 121 · 2021: 136 · 2020: 137 · 2019: 137 · 2018: 153 · 2017: 145 · 2016: 163 · 2015: 171 · 2014: 183 · 2013: 204 · 2012: 218
FWCI
10.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annual Review of Genetics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (AG-13154, R01AG024373, AG24373, R01AG013154)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL064017, HL-64017)
  • Fogarty International Center (TW01366, R03TW001366)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS-21328, R01NS021328, NS41650, R01NS041850)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
Keywords
mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial DNA mutations, oxidative phosphorylation, reactive oxygen species, aging, age-related diseases, cancer, degenerative diseases, energy deficiency, evolutionary medicine
MeSH terms
Aging, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Longevity, Metabolic Diseases, Mitochondria, Neoplasms

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