Table 3.
Expression of transcripts encoding subunits of the translocase of the inner mitochondrial membrane (TIMM), translocase of the outer membrane (TOMM) and sorting and assembly machinery (SAMM) mitochondrial protein import complexes as well as that oxidative phosphorylaton complexes I, III, IV, and V was reduced in lymphoblasts from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) patients (n = 23) compared to healthy controls (n = 17). Conversely, expression of Complex II transcripts was elevated, while the expression of transcripts encoding TCA cycle enzymes and SLC25 family transporters were unchanged. Each cell line was sampled once in an RNA sequencing transcriptomics experiment. Mean fold change was calculated for the ME/CFS group versus the control average for each transcript. Binomial tests were employed to assess the fraction differentially expressed with Ho set to 0.5. Single-sample t tests were employed to assess magnitude of differential expression with Ho being mean fold change = 1.
| Functional Category | Number of Transcripts Detected | Number of Transcripts with Fold Change <1 |
Number of Transcripts with Fold Change >1 |
Binomial Test p Value |
Mean Fold Change (± Standard Error) | Single-Sample t Test p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complex I | 39 | 37 | 2 | 2.84 × 10−9 | 0.81 ± 0.03 | 2.63 × 10−8 |
| Complex II | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0.13 | 1.12 ± 0.03 | 0.024 |
| Complex III | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0.039 | 0.82 ± 0.03 | 6.31 × 10−4 |
| Complex IV | 19 | 16 | 3 | 0.0044 | 0.83 ± 0.03 | 8.41 × 10−6 |
| Complex V | 18 | 17 | 1 | 1.45 × 10−4 | 0.80 ± 0.04 | 2.25 × 10−5 |
| All 5 complexes | 89 | 78 | 11 | 1.37 × 10−13 | 0.83 ± 0.02 | <2.2 × 10−16 |
| TCA cycle | 21 | 7 | 14 | 0.189 | 1.03 ± 0.02 | 0.171 |
| Protein import complex subunits | 25 | 20 | 5 | 0.0041 | 0.88 ± 0.02 | 3.29 × 10−5 |
| SLC25 family | 40 | 21 | 19 | 0.88 | 1.011 ± 0.02 | 0.628 |