Some Observations on Intra-Mitochondrial Crystals
Intra-mitochondrial crystals have been noted in muscle biopsies from patients in a wide variety of diseased states. As far as we are aware, none of these crystals have been subjected to detailed crystallographic analysis. Recently, similar crystals were observed in a biopsy from a patient with a mitochondrial myopathy, characterised by a deficiency in reducible cytochrome b (Morgan-Hughes, J. A., Darveniza, P., Kahn, S. N., Landon, D. N., Sherratt, R. M., Land, J. M. and Clark, J. B., 1977, Brain, In Press). Aldehyde-fixed, osmicated resin imbedded material was examined using Siemens, JEOL and Phillips electron microscopes with goniometer specimen stages. The crystals generally lay between the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes and measured 1 - 3 μm in length and 0.1 - 0.3 μm in width. Characteristically, these crystals revealed specific periodicities.
A mitochondrial myopathy characterised by a deficiency in reducible cytochrome b. By JA Morgan-Hughes, P Darveniza, SN Kahn, DN Langdon, RM Sherratt, JM Land and JB Clark (From the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1 and the Biochemistry Department, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London EC1) Brain 1977; 100: 617-640.
