Palmitate oxidation in muscle mitochondria of patients with the juvenile form of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis.

The finding that the intracellular storage material in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) consists of the subunit c of ATP synthase prompted us to study energy conservation in JNCL patients. The activities of respiratory chain enzymes in isolated muscle mitochondria from 8 JNCL cases were normal, but oxidation of palmitate was reduced in 6 patients. The degree of reduction was related to the age of the patients. None of the patients had clinical symptoms or laboratory findings of impaired energy conservation, which suggest that the reduced palmitate oxidation was not associated with a major defect in fatty acid oxidation.