Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Mutation in mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) gene in a large pedigree with maternally transmitted type II diabetes mellitus and deafness

Abstract

Non–insulin–dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is characterized by hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance, and affects nearly 5% of the general population. Inherited factors are important for its development, but the genes involved are unknown. We have identified a large pedigree in which NIDDM, in combination with a sensorineural hearing loss, is maternally inherited. The maternal inheritance and the observed decrease in mitochondrial enzyme activities of the respiratory chain indicate a genetic defect in the mitochondrial DNA. An A to G transition was identified at nucleotide 3,243, a conserved position in the mitochondrial gene for tRNALeu(UUR). This mutation cosegregates with the disease in this family and is absent in controls, and indicates that a point mutation in mitochondrial DNA is a pathogenetic factor for NIDDM.

This is a preview of subscription content

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

All prices are NET prices.

References

  1. Barnett, A.H., Eff, C., Leslie, R.D.G. & Pyke, D.A. Diabetologia 20, 87–93 (1981).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bell, G.I. Diabetes 40, 413–422 (1991).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Moller, D.E., Yokota, A. & Flier, J.S. Diabetes 38, 1496–1500 (1989).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Cama, A. et al. J. clin. endocrinol. Metab. 70, 1155–1161 (1990).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lekanne Deprez, R.H. et al. Diabetologia 32, 740–744 (1989).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Kusari, J., Verma, U.S., Buse, J.B., Henry, R.R. & Olefsky, J.M. J. clin. Invest. 88, 1323–1330 (1991).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Dörner, G. & Mohnike, A. Endokrinologie 68, 121–124 (1976).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Alcolado, J.C. & Alcolado, R. Br. med. J. 302, 1178–1180 (1991).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Ballinger, S.W. et al. Nature Genet. 1, 11–15 (1992).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Goto, Y., Nonaka, I., Horai, S. Nature 348, 651–653 (1990).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Charles, M.A., Fontbonne, A., Thibult, N., Warnet, J., Rosselin, G.E. & Eschwege, E. Diabetes 40, 796–799 (1991).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Van den Ouweland, J.M.W., Lemkes, H. & Maassen, J.A. Nucleic Acids Res. 19, 1962–1962 (1991).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Anderson, S. et al. Nature 290, 457–465 (1981).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wallace, D.C. et al. Science 242, 1427–1430 (1988).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Shoffner, J.M., Lott, M.T., Lezza, A.M.S., Seibel, P., Ballinger, S.W. & Wallace, D.C. Cell 61, 931–937 (1990).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Johns, D.R. & Hurko, O. Lancet 337, 927–928 (1991).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Shoffner, J.M. & Wallace, D.C. Adv. hum. Genet. 19, 267–330 (1990).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Goto, Y. et al. Neurology 42, 545–550 (1992).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ciafaloni, E. et al. Ann. Neurol. 31, 391–398 (1992).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Moraes, C.T., Ricci, E., Bonilla, E., DiMauro, S. & Schon, E.A. Am. J. hum. Genet. 50, 934–949 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Van den Ouweland, J.M.W. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 20, 679–682 (1992).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Fischer, J.C. et al. Eur. J. Pediatr. 144, 441–444 (1986).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Miller, S.A., Dykes, D.D. & Polesky, H.F. Nucleic Acids Res. 16, 1215–1215 (1988).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E.F. & Maniatis, T. Molecular cloning: a Laboratory Manual 2edn (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Saiki, R.K. et al. Science 239, 487–491 (1988).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Casanova, J.L., Pannetier, C., Jaulin, C. & Kourilsky, P. Nucleic Acids Res. 18, 4028–4028 (1990).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van den Ouweland, J., Lemkes, H., Ruitenbeek, W. et al. Mutation in mitochondrial tRNALeu(UUR) gene in a large pedigree with maternally transmitted type II diabetes mellitus and deafness. Nat Genet 1, 368–371 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0892-368

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0892-368

Further reading

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing