To determine the frequency and distribution of mitochondrial DNA mutations in breast cancer, 18 primary breast tumors were analyzed by direct sequencing. Twelve somatic mutations not present in matched lymphocytes and normal breast tissues were detected in 11 of the tumors screened (61%). Of these mutations, five (42%) were deletions or insertions in a homopolymeric C-stretch between nucleotide...

Quaternary climatic cycles have influenced marine organisms' spatial distribution and population dynamics. This study aimed to elucidate the evolutionary influences of contemporary and glacial physical barriers on the population structure, demography and colonization history of the mudskipper (Periophthalmus modestus) based on a mitochondrial gene segment (ND5) from 131 individual fish sampled ...

Gene flow in malaria vectors is usually estimated based on differentiation indices (e.g., F(ST)) in order to predict the contemporary spread of genes such as those conferring resistance to insecticides. This approach is reliant on a number of assumptions, the most crucial, and the one most likely to be violated in these species, being mutation-migration-drift equilibrium. Tests of this assumpti...

Identification of the progenitors of plants endemic to oceanic islands often is complicated by extreme morphological divergence between island and continental taxa. This is especially true for the Hawaiian Islands, which are 3,900 km from any continental source. We examine the origin of Hesperomannia, a genus of three species endemic to Hawaii that always have been placed in the tribe Mutisieae...

PURPOSE There are many similarities in the clinical presentation of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and in patients who have optic neuropathy and a history of heavy tobacco and alcohol consumption. The main objective of this study is to investigate the frequency of primary and secondary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations for LHON in patients diagnosed as having alcohol and tobacco opt...

The physiological significance and metabolism of oligoadenylated and polyadenylated human mitochondrial mRNAs are not known to date. After study of eight mitochondrial transcripts (ND1, ND2, ND3, ND5, CO1, CO2, ATP6/8 and Cyt. b) we found a direct correlation between the half-lives of mitochondrial mRNAs and their steady-state levels. Investigation of the mt-mRNA decay after thiamphenicol treat...

Previous independent investigations of the serotyping of Haemophilus parasuis strains have led to the designation of serovars A to D, 1 to 7, Jena 6 to Jena 12, and ND1 to ND5. Heat-stable antigen preparations from the reference strains for these serovars were tested by immunodiffusion with rabbit hyperimmune antisera. The existence of 15 distinct serologic groups was apparent, for which we pro...

Most animal mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) range in size from 15 to 18 kb, but increased sizes up to approximately 40 kb are occasionally found. We investigated large size variation in mtDNA of the brook stickleback fish, Culaea inconstans, and characterized four large (2.7-5.8 kb) tandem duplications. Duplications differ in size, frequency of occurrence, and degree of associated heteroplasmy, but...

Endemic species on islands are highly susceptible to local extinction, in particular if they are exposed to invasive species. Invasive predators, such as feral cats, have been introduced to islands around the world, causing major losses in local biodiversity. In order to control and manage invasive species successfully, information about source populations and level of gene flow is essential. H...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Recently, a significantly higher ratio of nucleotide changes in the mtDNA genes: COII, ATPase 6, ATPase 8, ND2, ND3, ND4, and ND5 was reported in spermatozoa from populations of infertile Indian men, compared suggesting that screening for mtDNA mutations could provide insight into the aetiology of male infertility. In this study, we examined the published data and found ...