Purifying selection that limits the transmission of harmful mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations has been observed in both human and animal models. Yet, the precise mechanism underlying this process remains undefined. Here, we present a highly specific and efficient in situ imaging method capable of visualizing mtDNA variants that differ by only a few nucleotides at single-molecule resolution in Drosophila ovaries. Using this method, we revealed that selection primarily occurs within a narrow developmental window during germline cyst differentiation. At this stage, the proportion of the deleterious mtDNA variant decreases without a reduction in its absolute copy number. Instead, the healthier mtDNA variant replicates more frequently, thereby outcompeting the co-existing deleterious variant. These findings provide direct evidence that mtDNA selection is driven by replication competition rather than by active elimination processes, shedding light on a fundamental yet previously unresolved mechanism governing mitochondrial genome transmission.
Zhang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.