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Mitochondria and the death of oocytes

Nature volume 403, page 501 (2000)Cite this article

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Krakauer and Mira reply

Many of the issues raised by Perez et al. concern molecular mechanism rather than evolutionary function. Thus ‘cause’ does not carry the same meaning in evolution as in physiology. The evolutionary cause or function of sexual reproduction or two-step meiosis can be seen as a means of fending off parasites or selfish genetic elements: the developmental or mechanistic causes of these are different and involve precise chemical and genetic processes. We propose that the evolutionary function of atresia has been to eliminate mildly deleterious mutations from mitochondria, thereby retarding Müller's ratchet1. It is not necessary for all of the oocytes undergoing apoptosis in each generation to contain defective mitochondrial genomes, much as individuals do not need to be teeming with parasites or sister-killer mutants to engage in sex, or for cells to undergo meiosis. Once these adaptations arise, organisms are often committed to their implementation2.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, 08540, New Jersey, USA

    David C. Krakauer

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721, Arizona, USA

    Alex Mira

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  1. David C. Krakauer
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  2. Alex Mira
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Krakauer, D., Mira, A. Mitochondria and the death of oocytes. Nature 403, 501 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35000654

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