See Mitochondrial heteroplasmy
The presence of two or more mtDNA genotypes in a single DNA sample.
The situation in which, within a single cell, there is a mixture of mitochondria (energy producing cytoplasmic organelles), some containing mutant DNA and some containing normal DNA Related Terms: mitochondrial inheritance ; pleiotropy ; variable expressivity
A cellular condition in which two genetically different types of organelles are present. cf homoplasmy.
the presence of more than one type of mtDNA in an individual. It has been ocassionally found in most major groups of organisms (in fish: Alosa sapidissima, Acipenser spp., Amia calva).
The presence of more than one mtDNA type within a single individual.
The mitochondria of an individual consisting of more than one population.
Heteroplasmy is the presence of a mixture of more than one type of an organellar genome (mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or plastid DNA) within a cell or individual. Since every eukaryotic cell contains many hundreds of mitochondria with hundreds of copies of mtDNA, it is possible and indeed very frequent for mutations to affect only some of the copies, while the remaining ones are unaffected.