Relative steady-state levels of mtDNA transcripts in cybrids harboring different mtDNA haplogroups.

<p>Each color represents the transcription level estimated by real time quantitative PCR (see <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000474#s4" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a>) for mtDNA-encoded genes in the mentioned cybrids. Briefly, the measured transcripts levels were normalized to the geometric mean of the three housekeeping genes: GAPDH, β-Actin and β2 microglobulin. Cybrids haplogroup assignment was verified by PCR RFLP of selected polymorphic sites and sequencing and HVR1 and HVR2: cybrids 3861 and 1106 belong to haplogroup J1 and J1b2, respectively, while cybrids CB, LR, NN, SB and TL belong to haplogroup H. Notice that the transcript level of ND1 and ND4L genes were significantly lower in one of the haplogroup J1 cybrids (3861), and that the ND3 transcript level was lower in one of haplogroup H transcripts (NN).