Mitosim - A tool for simulation of mitochondrial population dynamics

We describe a software tool, mitosim, for simulation of mitochondrial population dynamics. Mitosim makes it possible to model division and mutations in mitochondrial DNA; destruction, division and fusion of mitochondria; and death and division of cells. The parameters controlling the simulations can be set in a separate parameter file and parameters are also state dependent. Mitosim is intended as a tool for the simulation of accumulation of mutations in mitochondrial DNA in various kinds of cell cultures, e.g. mitotically active cells cultivated in vitro with periodic passaging and postmitotic somatic cells in vivo. The tool can also be employed as a tool for trying out different hypotheses concerning the mechanisms of mitochondrial fusion and replication.