Mutations in mitochondrial tRNA genes are associated with a wide spectrum of human diseases. In particular, the tRNA(Leu(UUR)) A3243G mutation causes mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like symptoms (MELAS) and 2% of cases of type 2 diabetes. The primary defect in this mutation was an inefficient aminoacylation of the tRNA(Leu(UUR)). In the present study, we have inves...

OBJECTIVES We report a novel heteroplasmic mitochondrial tRNA(Lys) mutation associated with dystonia, stroke-like episodes, sensorineural hearing loss and epilepsy in a Hungarian family. MATERIAL AND METHODS A 16-year-old boy, his brother and mother were investigated. Thorough clinical investigation as well as electrophysiological, neuroradiological and myopathological examinations were perfo...

Mitochondrial transfer RNA (mt-tRNA) mutations are the commonest sub-type of mitochondrial (mtDNA) mutations associated with human disease. We report a patient with multisytemic disease characterised by myopathy, spinal ataxia, sensorineural hearing loss, cataract and cognitive impairment in whom a novel m.7539C>T mt-tRNA(Asp) transition was identified. Muscle biopsy revealed extensive histopat...

Presence of the dihydrouridine (D) stem in the mitochondrial cysteine tRNA is unusually variable among lepidosaurian reptiles. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses of cysteine tRNA gene sequences identify eight parallel losses of the D-stem, resulting in D-arm replacement loops. Sampling within the monophyletic Acrodonta provides no evidence for reversal. Slipped-strand mispairing of noncontig...

M ore than 100 pathogenic mitochondrial (mt) DNA mutations have been described in the past decade in association with different neuromuscular disorders. Apart from large scale mtDNA rearrangements and common point mutations in mt tRNA genes, pathogenic mutations affecting structural genes of mtDNA encoded respiratory chain subunits have been reported as well. Pathogenic tRNA mutations can affec...

M ore than 100 pathogenic mitochondrial (mt) DNA mutations have been described in the past decade in association with different neuromuscular disorders. Apart from large scale mtDNA rearrangements and common point mutations in mt tRNA genes, pathogenic mutations affecting structural genes of mtDNA encoded respiratory chain subunits have been reported as well. Pathogenic tRNA mutations can affec...

Primary mitochondrial diseases (MD) are complex, heterogeneous inherited diseases caused by mutations in either the mitochondrial or nuclear DNA. Glomerular diseases in MD have been reported with tRNA mutation m.3243A>G causing a syndrome of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). We describe here a case of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) ass...

M ore than 100 pathogenic mitochondrial (mt) DNA mutations have been described in the past decade in association with different neuromuscular disorders. Apart from large scale mtDNA rearrangements and common point mutations in mt tRNA genes, pathogenic mutations affecting structural genes of mtDNA encoded respiratory chain subunits have been reported as well. Pathogenic tRNA mutations can affec...

Many kinds of mutations in mitochondrial (mt) DNA have been reported to be related to the development of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), this type of diabetes has also been shown to be influenced by other genetic factors and/or environmental factors. Among them, tRNALeu(UUR) and its adjacent mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1(ND1) region within the mt genome are linked to high susceptibility to DM. A p...