Background: Mitochondrial damage and delayed cellular energy failure may be a cause of hypoxic cell death. Mt-DNA deletions are seen with ageing and in some neuro-degenerative diseases and may contribute to cell death.
Materials and methods: Human NT2-N neurons were exposed to hypoxia for 6 hours. Common deletion PCR (primers 8273-8305 and 13720-13692) and long PCR (primers 3470-3492 and 16379-16360) were performed after 48 hours when marked cell death was apparent. Nested PCR and Southern blots were done to verify the origin of the products.
Results: A positive control sample with a low level of mt-DNA deletions gave a strong band with common deletion PCR and multiple bands with long PCR. Nonhypoxic NT2-N cells gave no or only a faint band with common deletion PCR (40 cycles) and no increase was seen after hypoxia. Similar findings were obtained with long PCR.
Conclusion: Mt-DNA deletions are not involved in hypoxic cell death in the human NT2-N neuronal cell line.
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Rootwelt, T., Reddy, U., Fromenty, B. et al. Deletions in mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) during hypoxic cell death in the human NT2-N neuronal cell line. Pediatr Res 42, 387 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199709000-00032
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199709000-00032
