Researchers have discovered several mutations in the mitochondrial DNA of Drosophila that affect male lifespan and rate of aging, but have no effect on aging in females, according to a study published this week (August 2) in Current Biology.
According to BBC News, there are about 50 percent more women in the UK population by the age of 85, and twice as many more women by the age of 100. And this pattern is not just limited to humans.
Analyzing the mitochondria of male and female Drosophila melanogaster, Damian Dowling of Monash University in Australia and colleagues found that the mitochondria harbor numerous mutations that affect male, but not female, aging. Because mitochondria are passed down from the mother, evolutionary theory predicts that male-harming mutations can accumulate in its DNA.
“If a mitochondrial mutation occurs that harms fathers, but has no effect on mothers, this mutation will slip through the ...
