A recurring mutation in the respiratory complex 1 protein NDUFB11 is responsible for a novel form of X-linked sideroblastic anemia.

The congenital sideroblastic anemias (CSAs) are a heterogeneous group of inherited blood disorders characterized by pathological mitochondrial iron deposition in erythroid precursors. Each known cause has been attributed to a mutation in a protein associated with heme biosynthesis, iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, mitochondrial translation, or a component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Here, we describe a recurring mutation, c.276_278del, p.F93del, in NDUFB11, a mitochondrial respiratory complex I-associated protein encoded on the X chromosome, in 5 males with a variably syndromic, normocytic CSA. The p.F93del mutation results in respiratory insufficiency and loss of complex I stability and activity in patient-derived fibroblasts. Targeted introduction of this allele into K562 erythroleukemia cells results in a proliferation defect with minimal effect on erythroid differentiation potential, suggesting the mechanism of anemia in this disorder.