Does mitochondrial DNA play a role in Parkinson's disease? A review of cybrid and other supportive evidence.

SIGNIFICANCE: Mitochondria are currently believed to play an important role in the neurodysfunction and neurodegeneration that underlie Parkinson's disease (PD). RECENT ADVANCES: While it increasingly appears that mitochondrial dysfunction in PD can have different causes, it has been proposed that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may account for or drive mitochondrial dysfunction in the majority of the cases. If correct, the responsible mtDNA signatures could represent acquired mutations, inherited mutations, or population-distributed polymorphisms. CRITICAL ISSUES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS: This review discusses the case for mtDNA as a key mediator of PD, and especially focuses on data from studies of PD cytoplasmic hybrid (cybrid) cell lines.