Mitochondrial heteroplasmy in vertebrates using ChIP-sequencing data

Mitochondrial heteroplasmy, the presence of more than one mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variant in a cell or individual, is not as uncommon as previously thought. It is mostly due to the high mutation rate of the mtDNA and limited repair mechanisms present in the mitochondrion. Motivated by mitochondrial diseases, much focus has been placed into studying this phenomenon in human samples and in medical contexts.