Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42639396›Full record

ArticleNeurology. Genetics2026

Identification of Nuclear Genetic Loci Linked to Clinical Features of the m.3243A>G Mitochondrial DNA Variant.

Róisín M Boggan, Theodora-Dafni Michalettou, Yi Shiau Ng, Imogen G Franklin, Lucas T Cortés, Charlotte L Alston, Emma L Blakely, Boriana Büchner, Enrico Bugiardini, Kevin Colclough and 21 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurology. Genetics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

31 authors.

Róisín M BogganBiosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6592-3020
Theodora-Dafni MichalettouBiosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2119-1099
Yi Shiau NgTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7591-2034
Imogen G FranklinBiosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3307-2644
Lucas T CortésBiosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2420-2131
Charlotte L AlstonMitochondrial Research Group, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2095-5464
Emma L BlakelyNHS Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
Boriana BüchnerDepartment of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institut, University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU Klinikum), Munich, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1241-3684
Enrico BugiardiniDepartment of Neuromuscular Diseases, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9709-6699
Kevin ColcloughExeter Genomics Laboratory, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0566-4853
Catherine FeeneyNHS Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3189-3991
Michael G HannaDepartment of Neuromuscular Diseases, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
Andrew T HattersleyInstitute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, United Kingdom.
Thomas KlopstockDepartment of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institut, University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU Klinikum), Munich, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2805-4652
Cornelia KornblumCenter for Neurology, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, University Hospital Bonn, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0111-7281
Michelangelo MancusoDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Neurological Institute, University of Pisa, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2738-8562
Kashyap A PatelInstitute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, United Kingdom.
Robert D S PitceathlyDepartment of Neuromuscular Diseases, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6123-4551
Chiara PizzamiglioDepartment of Neuromuscular Diseases, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5519-0313
Holger ProkischInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2379-6286
Jochen SchäferDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany.
Andrew M SchaeferNHS Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
Maggie H ShepherdInstitute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2660-0955
Annemarie ThaeleDepartment of Neurology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Rhys H ThomasTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2062-8623
Doug M TurnbullTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8878-9901
Cathy E WoodwardNHS Highly Specialised Service for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders, Queen Square Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom.
Robert McFarlandMitochondrial Research Group, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8833-2688
Robert W TaylorMitochondrial Research Group, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7768-8873
Heather J CordellPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1879-5572
Sarah J PickettBiosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1242-2927

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders exhibit striking clinical variability that is poorly explained by known factors such as variant heteroplasmy, age, or sex. Nuclear genetic modifiers likely play a significant role in this heterogeneity. We aimed to characterize the nature of nuclear genetic involvement for 2 common syndromic presentations of the common pathogenic mtDNA variant, m.3243A>G: mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) and maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD). Methods: We assembled a multicenter cohort of clinically ascertained carriers of m.3243A>G (total n = 488), identifying 198 individuals across 76 pedigrees suitable for genetic linkage analysis. We investigated 4 clinical features characteristic of MELAS and MIDD: diabetes, hearing impairment, stroke-like episodes, and encephalopathy. Haseman-Elston regression-based genetic linkage analysis was performed to identify regions of the nuclear genome cosegregating with these features. The effects of m.3243A>G heteroplasmy, age, and sex were accounted for using logistic regression; empirical significance thresholds were determined through feature-specific gene-dropping simulations. Association analyses were performed in 247 individuals using single-variant (SAIGE) and gene-based approaches (SAIGE-GENE+ and MAGMA) to refine candidate loci within a significant linkage region. Results: We identified significant genetic linkage to encephalopathy (chromosome 7q22; LOD = 3.72), and regions suggestive of genetic linkage on chromosomes 1, 5, 6, 11, and 13, for encephalopathy and stroke-like episodes. No linkage was identified for diabetes or hearing impairment. Association analysis within the chromosome 7 region identified variant rs62500792 (intergenic between Discussion: The nuclear genetic architecture modifying m.3243A>G differs across clinical features. Severe neurologic features (encephalopathy and stroke-like episodes) may be influenced by a small number of nuclear genes with relatively large effect sizes, whereas the nuclear contribution to diabetes and hearing impairment appears more polygenic. This study highlights the value of large, well-characterized patient cohorts in identifying modifier loci and advancing knowledge of the mechanisms underlying phenotypic variability in mtDNA disease.

Identifiers

PMID42639396
PMCPMC13501453

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.