Amniocytes represent a population of foetal cells that can be used for prenatal diagnosis in families with suspected mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) defects. In this paper, we present a complex protocol for evaluation of the function of mitochondrial OXPHOS enzymes in cultured amniocytes using three independent and complementary methods: (a) spectrophotometry as a tool for determination of the capacities of mitochondrial respiratory-chain enzymes (NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase, succinate- and glycerophosphate cytochrome c reductase, cytochrome c oxidase and citrate synthase); (b) polarography as a tool for the evaluation of mitochondrial OXPHOS enzyme functions in situ using digitonin-permeabilised amniocytes (rotenone-sensitive oxidation of pyruvate+malate, antimycin A-sensitive oxidation of succinate, KCN-sensitive oxidation of cytochrome c, ADP-activated substrate oxidation) and (c) cytofluorometric determination of tetramethyl rhodamine methyl ester (TMRM) fluorescence in digitonin-permeabilised amniocytes as a sensitive way to determine the mitochondrial membrane potential under steady-state conditions (state 4 with succinate). These protocols are presented together with reference control values using 9-22 independent cultures of amniocytes.

Institute of Physiology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Vídenská 1083 142 20 4 Prague Czech Republic

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Diminished synthesis of subunit a (ATP6) and altered function of ATP synthase and cytochrome c oxidase due to the mtDNA 2 bp microdeletion of TA at positions 9205 and 9206