[Comparison of mitochondrial DNA sequences of T.N. Kulikovskiĭ-Romanov, the nephew of Tsar Nikolaĭ II Romanov, with DNA from the putative remains of the Tsar].

Analysis of two polymorphic regions of mitochondrial DNA obtained from T. N. Kulikovskii-Romanov, the nephew of the last Tsar of the Russian Empire Nikolai II Romanov, was performed. The mitochondrial DNA sequences of T. N. Kulikovskii-Romanov and earlier reported DNA sequences obtained from the putative remains of Nikolai II showed almost complete coincidence except for a single nucleotide at the position 16169. At this position, C was found in mitochondrial DNA of T. N. Kulikovskii-Romanov, C/T in that from the putative remains of Nikolai II Romanov, and T in mitochondrial DNA from great great grandson and great great grand-daughter of Louise Hesse-Cassel. These data suggest independent mutations in the maternal lineage of Louise Hesse-Cassel's descendants and/or a mutation leading to a heteroplasmia in the lineage of Louise Hesse-Cassel.