title: Mitochondrial DNA in anucleate human blood cells.
abstract: Homogeneous populations of human blood platelets or erythrocytes were lysed in alkaline EDTA, bound to nitrocellulose and hybridized to a radioactive mtDNA probe. By comparison to standards of known mtDNA concentration, we determined that platelets contained 4 mtDNA molecules per cell. Rhodamine 123 staining revealed an average of 4 mitochondria per platelet indicating that each mitochondrion contains a single mtDNA molecule. No detectable mtDNA was found in erythrocyte lysates. Using the same procedure, we found that in nucleated cells, mitochondria contained multiple mtDNAs per mitochondrion.
authors.affiliation: Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Shuster
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rubenstein
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000032:analysis*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial