Journal of Biological Chemistry
Volume 275, Issue 40, 6 October 2000, Pages 31514-31519
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METABOLISM AND BIOENERGETICS
Expression of Rattus norvegicus mtDNA inMus musculus Cells Results in Multiple Respiratory Chain Defects*

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The production of in vitro andin vivo models of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) defects is currently limited by a lack of characterized mouse cell mtDNA mutants that may be expected to model human mitochondrial diseases. Here we describe the creation of transmitochondrial mouse (Mus musculus) cells repopulated with mtDNA from different murid species (xenomitochondrial cybrids). The closely related Mus spretus mtDNA is readily maintained when introduced into M. musculus mtDNA-less (ρ0) cells, and the resulting cybrids have normal oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). When the more distantly related Rattus norvegicus mtDNA is transferred to the mouse nuclear background the mtDNA is replicated, transcribed, and translated efficiently. However, function of several OXPHOS complexes that depend on the coordinated assembly of nuclear and mtDNA-encoded proteins is impaired. Complex I activity in the Rattusxenocybrid was 46% of the control mean; complex III was 37%, and complex IV was 78%. These defects combined to restrict maximal respiration to 12–31% of the control and M. spretusxenocybrids, as measured polarographically using isolated cybrid mitochondria. These defects are distinct to those previously reported for human/primate xenocybrids. It should be possible to produce other mouse xenocybrid constructs with less severe OXPHOS phenotypes, to model human mtDNA diseases.

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Published, JBC Papers in Press, July 24, 2000, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M004070200

*

This work was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Grant 970543 (to I. T), grants-in-aid from the Ramaciotti Foundation, ANZ trustees, and the Percy Baxter trust.The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

Recipient of a University of Melbourne postgraduate scholarship.