Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies: defects of nuclear DNA

The term "mitochondrial diseases" encompasses a heterogeneous group of disorders in which a primary mitochondrial dysfunction is suspected or proven by morphologic, genetic, or biochemical criteria. Clinically, these progressive disorders usually affect muscle, either alone (mitochondrial myopathies) or in combination with other systems, most often brain (encephalomyopathies). Mitochondria are unique among intracellular organelles in that mitochondrial proteins are encoded by two genomes, nuclear DNA (nDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The vast majority of mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome, whereas mtDNA (a circular, double stranded 16.5 kb molecule) encodes only 13 polypeptides, all of them subunits of respiratory chain complexes. In addition to structural genes, mtDNA also codes for 22 transfer RNAs and two ribosomal RNAs. Our understanding of mitochondrial diseases has grown at an impressive rate in the past few years, and most of the progress has been in the area of mtDNA genetics, where several mtDNA mutations have been associated with specific diseases (reviewed in this issue by Zeviani et al.). In comparison, our understanding of mitochondrial disorders due to nDNA lesions has lagged behind and, to date, molecular defects of nuclear genes have been documented in only a few patients. We will review which alterations in the nuclear genome can cause mitochondrial disorders and which criteria are useful in identifying such mutations. While several examples will be provided, this is not intended as a complete review of the subject.