# A somatic view of the genomic impact of mitochondrial endosymbiosis

## TL;DR

This paper discusses how mitochondrial endosymbiosis affects the genomes of somatic cells and relates to aging and disease.

## Contribution

The study connects mitochondrial endosymbiosis to somatic genomic changes and their role in aging and disease.

## Key findings

- Mitochondrial endosymbiosis led to genetic material transfer in eukaryotic evolution.
- Somatic genomic changes correlate with aging and disease processes.
- The study expands the understanding of mitochondrial impact beyond evolutionary scales.

## Abstract

The endosymbiosis of mitochondrial ancestors resulted in the transfer of genetic material on an evolutionary scale for eukaryotic species. A new study in PLOS Biology expands this to the genome of somatic cells within individuals and highlights its correlation with aging and disease.

The endosymbiosis of mitochondrial ancestors resulted in the transfer of genetic material on an evolutionary scale for eukaryotic species. This Primer explores a new study in PLOS Biology which expands this to the genome of somatic cells within individuals and highlights its correlation with aging and disease.