DNA repair mechanisms are fairly well characterized for nuclear DNA while knowledge
regarding the repair mechanisms operable in mitochondria is limited. Several lines of
evidence suggest that mitochondria contain DNA repair mechanisms. DNA lesions are
removed from mtDNA in cells exposed to various chemicals. Protein activities that process
damaged DNA have been detected in mitochondria. As will be discussed, there is evidence
for base excision repair (BER), direct damage reversal, mismatch repair, and …