MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION IN SPONTANEOUS INBRED TURKEY CARDIOMYOPATHY

Mitochondrial enzyme activities were examined in cardiac tissues of tu rkeys with spontaneous inbred cardiomyopathy. Marked declines in speci fic enzyme activities were noted for respiratory complexes III and V r anging from 65-90% of the control values. No significant differences i n complexes I, IV and citrate synthase nor in mitochondrial DNA copy n umber were detected. These results suggest that specific mitochondrial enzyme defects occur in cardiac tissues during spontaneous inbred tur key cardiomyopathy.