Rethinking mitochondrial metabolism: Intraindividual variability meets population constraints.

Mitochondrial DNA drives nuclear coadaptation and increases mitonuclear haplotype diversity within species, balancing heterozygosity and variability.

• Why it matters: Understanding how mitochondrial DNA influences nuclear evolution is crucial for grasping species adaptation and genetic diversity, yet this interaction remains underexplored.
• What they did: The study combines high-resolution 3D structural data with population genetics and evolutionary analyses to investigate mtDNA's role in shaping nuclear genomes across species.
• The result: Findings reveal that mtDNA acts as a key evolutionary force promoting mitonuclear diversity, enabling adaptive flexibility while maintaining intraindividual heterozygosity.