Erschienen in:
01.12.2004 | Symposium on Mitochondrial Disease
Biochemical Approach to the Investigation of Pediatric Mitochondrial Disease
verfasst von:
Hilary Vallance
Erschienen in:
Pediatric and Developmental Pathology
|
Ausgabe 6/2004
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Excerpt
The respiratory chain consists of 5 enzymatic components (complexes I to V), each of which contains multiple subunits that are intricately arranged in the inner mitochondrial membrane. All but 1 complex (complex II) have nuclearly and mitochondrially encoded protein subunits. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes 13 subunits and all the tRNAs required for protein translation. However, the mtDNA encodes only a fraction of the proteins required for normal respiratory chain function. In addition to the nuclearly encoded respiratory chain subunits, many more nuclear genes encode assembly and regulatory proteins essential for the normal structure and function of the respiratory chain. Thus, defects in mtDNA or nuclear genes can cause respiratory chain (mitochondrial) disease. …