Mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy dynamics in a kindred harboring a novel pathogenic mutation in the mitochondrial tRNA glutamate gene
- Univ. of Miami, FL (United States)
We have identified a novel mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation in a 32-year-old male with a myopathy (without progressive external ophthalmoplegia) and mild pyramidal involvement. This A{yields}G transition at mtDNA position 14709 alters an evolutionary conserved nucleotide in a region coding for the anticodon loop of the mitcohondrial tRNA{sup Glu}. The 14709 mtDNA mutation was heteroplasmic but present at very high levels in the patient`s muscle (95%), white blood cells (81%) and hair follicles (90%). The same mutant mtDNA population was observed in white blood cells and hair follicles of all maternal relatives, but a lesser percentage (25-80%). The patient`s muscle showed many ragged-red fibers and a severe focal defect in cytochrome c oxidase activity, accompanied by the absence of cross-reacting material for mitochondrially synthesized polypeptides (ND 1 and COX II). The percentage of mutant mtDNA was not preferentially increased over two generations. Rather, the percentage of mutant mtDNA observed in siblings seemed to follow a normal distribution around the percentage observed in their mothers. Single hair PCR/RFLP analysis showed that the intercellular fluctuation in the percentage of mutant mtDNA differs among family members. Younger generations tend to have a more homogeneous distribution of mutant mtDNA in different hair follicles. The highest degree of variability between individual hair follicles was observed in the patient`s grandmother. These results suggest that the intercellular distribution of the mutant and wild-type mtDNA populations may drift towards homogeneity in subsequent generations.
- OSTI ID:
- 134262
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941009-; ISSN 0002-9297; TRN: 95:005313-0998
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 55, Issue Suppl.3; Conference: 44. annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Montreal (Canada), 18-22 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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