[Analysis of mitochondrial gene mutations in pedigrees of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy].

The purpose of the study is to investigate the frequency of common pathogenic primary mitochondrial DNA mutations in pedigrees of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Mutations were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing. Twenty-two patients with suspicion of LHON and twenty-one their maternal relatives underwent molecular genetic evaluation.

Analysis of mitochondrial gene mutations in Chinese pedigrees of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.

Purpose: To investigate the frequency of common pathogenic primary mitochondrial DNA mutations in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) families.

Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing were used to detect mitochondrial DNA mutations. Sixty-six Chinese examiners from 15 families, including 22 visual affected and their 44 unaffected maternal relatives, underwent molecular genetic evaluation.

Vacuolar compartmentalization: a second-generation approach to engineering plants for phytoremediation.

Engineering plants with greater metal tolerance and accumulation properties is the key to developing phytoremediators. A recent study by Won-Yong Song et al. has shown that overexpressing the yeast vacuolar transporter YCF1 increases Pb and Cd tolerance and consequently increases the accumulation of these metals in shoots of transgenic Arabidopsis plants even though expression levels of YCF1 were relatively low.