title: The molecular diagnosis of metabolic myopathies.
abstract: The metabolic myopathies are distinguished by extensive clinical and genetic heterogeneity within and between individual disorders. There are a number of explanations for the variability observed that go beyond single gene mutations or degrees of heteroplasmy in the case of mitochondrial DNA mutations. Some of the contributing factors include protein subunit interactions, tissue-specificity, modifying genetic factors, and environmental triggers. Advances in the molecular analysis of metabolic myopathies during the last decade have not only improved the diagnosis of individual disorders but also helped to characterize the contributing factors that make these disorders so complex.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, and Pathology, Division of Genetics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo, 14209, USA. gdv@acsu.buffalo.edu
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Vladutiu
mesh_terms: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D017240:Mitochondrial Myopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D017354:Point Mutation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial