Mitochondria Known As The 'Canary In The Coal Mine'

Mitochondria are acting as the first line of defence in the sensing of DNA stress. It tells the rest of the cells, 'Hey, I am under attack so you better protect yourselves,'" this is said by Gerald Shadel who is a professor in the Salk's Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory and the Audrey Geisel Chair in Biomedical Science.
Maximum number of the DNA that are needed by a cell to function is found inside the nucleus of the cell, packaged inside the chromosomes and inherited from both the parents. But the fact is that mitochondria each consist their own tiny circles of DNA i.e. called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA which is passed from a mother to her offspring only. As well as most cells contain a number of –hundreds or even thousands -- of mitochondria.
The Shadel's lab group formerly showed that cells give response to the improperly packaged mtDNA in same manner to how they would react to any invading virus that is by releasing it from mitochondria and also launching an immune response that further beefs up the cell's defenses.
In the recent new study, Shadel along with his colleagues has set out to look in more detail at what molecular pathways are there that are activated by the release of damaged mtDNA into the cell's interior. They have also homed in on a subset of genes that is known as interferon-stimulated genes, or ISGs.

By: Prerana Sharma
Content: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191214122543.htm