Figure 2.

Packaging of mtDNA in nucleoids and DSB repair by Mhr1-mediated homologous recombination. The products of rolling-circle mtDNA replication, as linear mtDNA molecules, are packaged in mitochondrial nucleoids by nucleoid-forming proteins such as Abf2/TFAM for inheritance. Otherwise, they are susceptible to DNA damage and digestion by nucleases. mtDNA deletions caused by DSBs are primarily prevented by homologous recombination mediated by mitochondrial recombinases such as Mhr1. ρ+, respiration-proficient cells of S. cerevisiae. ρ−, respiration-deficient cells of S. cerevisiae, which contain mtDNA with a large deletion or tandem arrays of a mtDNA segment.