Heteroplasmy in action: tracking mtDNA segregation dynamics

Difficulties in tracking the dynamics of heteroplasmy, a state when a single cell contains distinct mtDNA genotypes, have left our understanding of factors influencing it incomplete. New work now provides a powerful approach for monitoring heteroplasmic yeast populations in real-time, and reveals insights into the forces underlying mtDNA variant segregation. A powerful new approach for monitoring heteroplasmic yeast populations in real-time has revealed insights into the forces underlying mtDNA variant segregation.