A new mitochondrial RNA deletion fragment accelerated by oxidative stress in rat L6 cells

Abstract

RNA deletions may be easier to detect and more extensive than DNA deletions. Two large deletion fragments (1120 and 7811 bp) of mitochondrial RNA were observed in rat L6 muscle cells. At the site of the 1120 bp deletion, the remaining RNA fragment was re-linked by a short additional section (GGTATGAAGCT). These kinds of deletions were accelerated by oxidative stress and were not observed in mitochondrial DNA.

• Mitochondrial RNA
• deletion
• oxidative stress
• L6 cells

Acknowledgements

This work was partly supported by Technology & Science Program Foundation of Guangdong Province in China (2KM05503S) and Technology & Science Program Foundation of Guangzhou City in China (2002Z1-E0037).