Current dogma holds that genes are the property of individual mammalian cells and partition between daughter cells during cell division. However, and rather unexpectedly, recent research has demonstrated horizontal cell-to-cell transfer of mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA in several mammalian cell culture systems. Furthermore, unequivocal evidence that mitochondrial DNA transfer occurs in vivo has now been published. While these studies show horizontal transfer of mitochondrial DNA in pathological settings, it is also possible that intercellular mitochondrial transfer is a fundamental physiological process with a role in development and tissue homeostasis.

Biological Sciences Victoria University of Wellington Wellington 6012 New Zealand

Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology Group Malaghan Institute of Medical Research Wellington 6012 New Zealand

Molecular Therapy Group Institute of Biotechnology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Prague 142 20 Czech Republic

Molecular Therapy Group Institute of Biotechnology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Prague 142 20 Czech Republic; Mitochondria Apoptosis and Cancer Research Group School of Medical Science and Griffith Health Institute Griffith University Southport QLD 4222 Australia

References provided by Crossref.org

Miro proteins and their role in mitochondrial transfer in cancer and beyond

Mitochondrial DNA Affects the Expression of Nuclear Genes Involved in Immune and Stress Responses in a Breast Cancer Model

Complex Mitochondrial Dysfunction Induced by TPP+-Gentisic Acid and Mitochondrial Translation Inhibition by Doxycycline Evokes Synergistic Lethality in Breast Cancer Cells

Intracellular and Intercellular Mitochondrial Dynamics in Parkinson's Disease

In the beginning was the word: How terminology drives our understanding of endosymbiotic organelles

Horizontal transfer of whole mitochondria restores tumorigenic potential in mitochondrial DNA-deficient cancer cells