Myoclonal Epilepsy and Ragged Red Fiber Disease (MERFF)is a Human

Multiple Choice

Myoclonal epilepsy and ragged red fiber disease (MERFF) is a human condition named for the ragged red fibers of its skeletal muscle cells and myoclonic epilepsy.Individuals with this disorder have a mutation in a mitochondrial gene for a tRNA,specifically that for lysine.Affected individuals are heteroplastic.Why?

A) Interference with translation slows protein formation and therefore maintenance of mutation-bearing organelles.
B) Having homoplastic organelles would no doubt be lethal due to curtailed translation.
C) Lysine is required in translation of every one of the mitochondrial genes.
D) Mutations of this gene affect individuals before birth.
E) Mutations of this gene are inherited as dominant characteristics.