Mitochondrial DNA inheritance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Respiratory metabolism depends on mitochondrial DNA, yet the mechanisms that ensure the inheritance of the mitochondrial genome are largely obscure. Recent studies with Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggest that distinct factors mediate the active segregation of mitochondrial DNA during mitotic growth. The identification of the proteins required for the maintenance of the mitochondrial genome provides clues to the mechanisms of, and molecular machinery involved in, mitochondrial DNA inheritance.