Analysis of polyadenylated RNA from human heart mitochondria.

The content of the mitochondrial poly(A)-RNA fraction of human heart has been analyzed by electrophoresis through agarose slab gels in the presence of methyl mercury hydroxide and staining with ethidium bromide. It is possible to identify all the heavy strand coded mRNAs in the electrophoretic pattern. This pattern is qualitatively similar to that obtained from the mitochondria of cells cultured in vitro (HeLa cells), although differences in the relative amount of some components have been detected.