What this means
Researchers changed mitochondrial DNA in mice and tracked the retina as the mice aged. Aging was linked to more DNA damage and shifts in energy parts, but this study in mice cannot show what this means for people.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- Mice
- Kind of research
- Research in animals or cells
The science
- Original title
- Mitochondrial Genetic Background Shapes Baseline Retinal Function, Age-Related Bioenergetic Remodeling, and Microglial STING Phenotypes.
- Authors
- Somerville MM, Lin SS, Ballinger SW et al.
- Journal
- Aging cell
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
- Study type
- Lab or animal study · indexed as animal research
- PMID
- 42878208 ↗
Abstract
Mitochondria are central regulators of retinal bioenergetics and innate immune signaling, yet how mitochondrial genetic background and aging jointly influence immunometabolic responses in the retina remains poorly defined. Here, we investigated the effects of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation on retinal function and the combined effects of mtDNA variation and age on bioenergetic composition, mtDNA damage, and the microglial expression and intracellular localization of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) protein. Using mitochondrial-nuclear eXchange (MNX) mice harboring identical C57BL/6J nuclear genomes but distinct C57 or C3H mtDNA haplotypes, we assessed oxidative phosphorylation complex composition, electrophysiological function, mtDNA damage, and microglial STING dynamics across the lifespan and following acute intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation. Aging was associated with increased mtDNA damage and remodeling of oxidative phosphorylation complex composition, characterized by reduced Complex III and V abundance and increased Complex IV. Despite these age-associated changes, photoreceptor- and retinal ganglion cell-associated retinal responses were preserved at early ages, whereas bipolar cell-associated responses differed by mtDNA background. Microglial STING expression increased with age. Acute IOP elevation was associated with differential microglial STING dynamics and STING association with lysosomal compartments decreased with age. Together, these findings demonstrate that mitochondrial genetic background and aging influence retinal bioenergetics and neuroimmune protein expression and identify mtDNA variation as a modifier of age-associated microglial STING expression in the retina.
Somerville MM, Lin SS, Ballinger SW et al. Mitochondrial Genetic Background Shapes Baseline Retinal Function, Age-Related Bioenergetic Remodeling, and Microglial STING Phenotypes. Aging cell. 2026. doi:10.1111/acel.70771. PMID: 42878208. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42878208/