Clinical and molecular features of mitochondrial DNA depletion syndromes.

Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndromes (MDSs) form a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by profoundly decreased mitochondrial DNA copy numbers in affected tissues. Three main clinical presentations are known: myopathic, encephalomyopathic and hepatocerebral. The first is associated with mutations in thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) and p53-induced ribonucleotide reductase B subunit (RRM2B); the second with mutations in succinate synthase A (SUCLA2) and B (SUCLG1); the third with mutations in Twinkle (PEO1), pol-gammaA (POLG1), deoxyguanosine kinase (DGUOK) and MPV17 (MPV17).

Complete loss-of-function of the heart/muscle-specific adenine nucleotide translocator is associated with mitochondrial myopathy and cardiomyopathy.

Multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions are associated with clinically heterogeneous disorders transmitted as mendelian traits. Dominant missense mutations were found in the gene encoding the heart and skeletal muscle-specific isoform of the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT1) in families with autosomal dominant progressive external opthalmoplegia and in a sporadic patient. We herein report on a sporadic patient who presented with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mild myopathy with exercise intolerance and lactic acidosis but no ophthalmoplegia.

Identification of myosin heavy chain I, IIa and IIx in canine skeletal muscles by an electrophoretic and immunoblotting study.

To determine which myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms are expressed in canine skeletal muscles, different muscle samples of five mixed-breed dogs were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The separated MHC isoforms were identified by immunoblotting technique using a set of specific monoclonal antibodies. To compare the results of the electrophoretic and immunoblotting study, the pattern of MHC isoform expression and histochemical profiles of canine fibres were additionally demonstrated on serial muscle sections by immunohistochemistry and myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase (mATPase) histochemistry.

Sectional anatomy of auditory tube.

Background And Purpose: The auditory tube connects the tympanic cavity with nasopharynx. Due to its structure and position it is difficult to demonstrate the auditory tube in its whole length, and to study its topography on anatomical specimens. The purpose of our study was to present sectional anatomy of auditory tube in order to facilitate understanding of its structure and topography.

Loss of calpain-3 autocatalytic activity in LGMD2A patients with normal protein expression.

The diagnosis of limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) type 2A (due to mutations in the gene encoding for calpain-3) is currently based on protein analysis, but mutant patients with normal protein expression have also been identified. In this study we investigated 150 LGMD patients with normal calpain-3 protein expression, identified gene mutations by an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction test, and analyzed the mutant calpain-3 catalytic activity. Four different mutations were found in eight patients (5.