Multiple cytochrome deficiency and deteriorated mitochondrial polypeptide composition in fatal infantile...

Mitochondria isolated from the skeletal muscle of an infant with mitochondrial myopathy and renal dysfunction were analyzed. Activities of NADH dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, ubiquinol-cytochrome c oxidoreductase, and cytochrome c oxidase were severely decreased. Cytochromes aa3 and b were not detected in patient mitochondria, and the cytochrome c+c1 content was 14% of control. Immunoblotting demonstrated that the amount of cytochrome c oxidase subunits were markedly decreased in patient mitochondria. The polypeptide profile of patient mitochondria was quite different from that of control mitochondria. These results suggest that deterioration of mitochondria in a severe case of mitochondrial myopathy involves not only cytochrome c oxidase but also other mitochondrial proteins.