| 7926004 |
Degli Esposti M, Carelli V, Ghelli A, Ratta M, Crimi M, Sangiorgi S, Montagna P, Lenaz G, Lugaresi E, Cortelli P: Functional alterations of the mitochondrially encoded ND4 subunit associated with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. Neurosci Lett. 2008 Dec 5;447(1):87-91. Epub 2008 Sep 24.
Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a maternally inherited disease associated with point mutations in mitochondrial DNA. The most frequent of these mutations is the G-to-A substitution at nucleotide position 11,778 which changes an evolutionarily conserved arginine with a histidine at position 340 in subunit ND4 of NADH:ubiquinone reductase (respiratory complex I). We report that this amino acid substitution alters the affinity of complex I for the ubiquinone substrate and induces resistance towards its potent inhibitor rotenone in mitochondria of LHON patients. Such changes could reflect a substantial loss in the energy conserving function of NADH:ubiquinone reductase and thus explain the pathological effect of the ND4/11,778 mutation. |
82(1,1,1,2) |