Open AccessAbnormal Mitochondrial DNA Molecules in Megamitochondria from Cuprizone‐Treated Rats
Author(s) -
GUERINEAU Michel,
GUERINEAU Suzanne,
GOSSE Charles
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1974.tb03695.x
Subject(s) - mitochondrial dna , dna , mitochondrion , molecule , monomer , electron microscope , microbiology and biotechnology , sequence (biology) , chemistry , biology , biophysics , crystallography , biochemistry , stereochemistry , gene , physics , organic chemistry , optics , polymer
The formation of giant mitochondria was induced in the livers of rats maintained on a diet containing 1 or 2% cuprizone for two weeks. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted, purified from the livers and observed under the electron microscope. In the control rats, mitochondrial DNA was made of monomers of 5 μm and of catenated oligomers. On the contrary, in the treated rats mitochondrial DNA was made of molecules of 4.7 μm to 7 μm, which could be classified into subpopulations of 4.84 μm, 5.00 μm, 5.17 μm, 5.37 μm. These molecules seem thus differ from each other by deletion of one 0.17‐μm sequence or by addition of one or several copies of this sequence. Size analogy with the D loop is discussed. Catenated oligomers and about 5% unicircular dimers were observed in the treated rats.