NADH Dehydrogenase 6 (ND6)

MT-ND6is part of a large enzyme complex known as complex I, which is active in mitochondria. Mitochondria are structures within cells that convert the energy from food into a form that cells can use. These cellular structures produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation, which uses oxygen and simple sugars to create adenosine triphosphate, the cell's main energy source. Several mutations in the MT-ND6 gene have been identified in people with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Each of these mutations changes a single protein building block (amino acid) in the NADH dehydrogenase 6 protein. One common MT-ND6 mutation is responsible for about 14 percent of all cases of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, and it is the most common cause of this disorder among people of French Canadian descent.