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Genetics Library / Genes / MT-ND5

GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:7461

MT-ND5

mitochondrially encoded NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit 5

protein-coding genemitochondriaGene information

What does this gene do?

The MT-ND5 gene provides instructions for making a protein called NADH dehydrogenase 5. This protein is 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 (ATP), the cell's main energy source.

Complex I is one of several enzyme complexes necessary for oxidative phosphorylation. Within mitochondria, these complexes are embedded in a tightly folded, specialized membrane called the inner mitochondrial membrane. During oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial enzyme complexes carry out chemical reactions that drive the production of ATP. Specifically, they create an unequal electrical charge on either side of the inner mitochondrial membrane through a step-by-step transfer of negatively charged particles called electrons. This difference in electrical charge provides the energy for ATP production.

Complex I is responsible for the first step in the electron transport process, the transfer of electrons from a molecule called NADH to another molecule called ubiquinone. Electrons are then passed from ubiquinone through several other enzyme complexes to provide energy for the generation of ATP.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2023-04-18. Source review: 2006-11.

Related condition topics

MedlinePlus mentions this gene in the condition pages below. These links alone do not show that the gene causes a condition.

ClinGen reviews

ClinGen reviews the evidence linking a particular gene to a condition. Each rating below describes the strength of that link. It does not classify a variant in your DNA file.

ConditionInheritanceEvidence
mitochondrial diseaseMONDO:0044970 · Evaluated 2023-05-03MitochondrialDefinitiveMitochondrial Diseases Gene Curation Expert Panel
Leigh syndromeMONDO:0009723 · Evaluated 2021-06-14MitochondrialDefinitiveMitochondrial Diseases Gene Curation Expert Panel

ClinVar records

These numbers show what has been submitted to ClinVar. They cannot tell you how likely you are to have a condition.

Submitted alleles
353
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene
496
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene
212
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic
24
VariationIDs with uncertain significance
137
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications
1

The rows count different things: alleles, submissions or VariationIDs. Their categories can overlap, so do not add them together. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic counts exclude structural variants that merely overlap a gene. A dash in the source means “not reported,” not zero.

NCBI produces the gene-summary file each week using counts recorded at the start of the month. The numbers may differ from those on the live ClinVar website. Read the field definitions ↗

View this gene in ClinVar ↗

YOUR DNA FILE

Can your DNA file tell you about MT-ND5?

From a DNA test kit (such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA or MyHeritage). These kits check a fixed list of about 600,000 to 700,000 positions across your whole genome. ClinVar lists 24 alleles in MT-ND5 reported as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. A kit checks only some of these positions, and often none of them.

From whole genome sequencing (a VCF file). Sequencing reads most of your genome. Your file lists the places where your DNA differs from the reference genome. Some regions are hard to sequence, including parts of some genes that have near-identical copies elsewhere, and a VCF file does not record which positions were read well.

If a variant is not in your file, that does not mean you don’t have it.

What BioDecode checks

BioDecode compares every variant in your file with ClinVar, on your own computer. For each match, it shows the ClinVar classification, the review status and the condition it was reported for. Your file is not uploaded.

A ClinVar classification applies to one particular variant and the condition it was reported for. It does not tell you about other variants in MT-ND5.

BioDecode cannot fill gaps in your test, diagnose a condition or replace clinical testing.

Sources and dates

The source information on this page last changed on 2026-10-31.

HGNC Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:04:30 GMT
Source record updated: 2021-05-26

SHA-256: f820c1457459821a6319541b4f2c407ad7c8423cd854b5bd00915d86baec4fb1

MedlinePlus Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sat, 31 Oct 2026 05:16:00 GMT
Source publication: 2023-04-18
Source review: 2006-11

SHA-256: fdc8bd614310c12718379cef6569962e5d0e791cecabcc355b53a72816ac263a

ClinVar Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sun, 25 Oct 2026 02:34:50 GMT

SHA-256: 7c4667b67e9e2e34ae6b73f11a35f4952bd416d5eb4f342636808a6d78e88bef

ClinGen Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sat, 31 Oct 2026 09:37:26 GMT

SHA-256: 4920538f843d2c5b650f5d4cfeffeff1211c4b81ab04d012f0e70aab2594d9c6

About the library sources · Latest validated release · Record 5d32b56cc290