Abstract

In this case report we studied alterations in mitochondrial proteins in a patient suffering from recurrent profound muscle weakness, associated with ethylmalonic-adipic aciduria, who had benefited from high dose of riboflavin treatment. Morphological and biochemical alterations included muscle lipid accumulation, low muscle carnitine content, reduction in fatty acid beta-oxidation and reduced activity of complexes I and II of the respiratory chain. Riboflavin therapy partially or totally reversed these symptoms and increased the level of muscle flavin adenine dinucleotide, suggesting that aberrant flavin cofactor metabolism accounted for the disease. Proteomic investigation of muscle mitochondria revealed decrease or absence of several flavoenzymes, enzymes related to flavin cofactor-dependent mitochondrial pathways and mitochondrial or mitochondria-associated calcium-binding proteins. All these deficiencies were completely rescued after riboflavin treatment. This study indicates for the first time a profound involvement of riboflavin/flavin cofactors in modulating the level of a number of functionally coordinated polypeptides involved in fatty acyl-CoA and amino acid metabolism, extending the number of enzymatic pathways altered in riboflavin-responsive multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.