Diagnosis of mitochondrial defects: livestock diseases

Abstract The energy centers of eukaryotic cells, known as mitochondria, are crucial for human and animal health and physiological functions. Mitochondria exhibit unique characteristics in multiple aspects, as they participate in energy production and affect calcium homeostasis, proliferation, and programmed cell death. The mitochondria contain inner DNA that functions with nuclear DNA to influence regulatory processes and division. Moreover, this duality of DNA appears in the progression of mitochondrial disorders. These mitochondrial diseases, inherited or acquired, are a group of bioenergetic illnesses caused by mutations and alterations in crucial energy genes and functions. Many of these genetic changes increase during aging, leading to disorders connected to environmental stress. Mitochondrial diseases are a risk factor for domestic animals and can occur when a disorder develops due to heart, neurological, performance, or infertility problems. This review comprehensively analyzes diseases caused by inherited (primary) or environmental (secondary) damage to mtDNA and mitochondrial functions and their diagnostic possibilities in domestic animals. We will examine how to identify these issues, how they develop, and what we can do to provide our domestic animals with the best diagnostics.