A de novo mutation in the adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) 8 gene in a patient with mitochondrial disorder

Mitochondrial DNA defects were known to be associated with a wide spectrum of human diseases and patients might present a wide range of clinical features in various combinations. In the current study, we described a patient with psychomotor and neurodevelopmental delay, mild hyperintensity of posterior periventicular white matter, generalized clonic seizures, leukodystrophy, and congenital deafness. He also had tetraplegia, with central blindness and swallowing difficulty. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed involvement of the interpeduncular nucleus and central tegmental tract, white matter abnormalities, and cerebellar atrophy. A whole mitochondrial genome screening revealed the presence of 19 reported polymorphisms and an undescribed A to G mutation at nucleotide 8411 (p.M16V) affecting a conserved region of the mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) 8 protein. This de novo mutation was detected in heteroplasmic form (97%) and was absent in 120 controls. Thus, the m.8411A>G mutation could strongly be associated with the disease in the tested patient.