Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua and CNR Neuroscience Institute, Via G. Colombo 3, 35131 Padua, Italy.
Cell Calcium. 2012 Jul;52(1):16-21. doi: 10.1016/j.ceca.2012.04.006. Epub 2012 Jun 4.
Mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake plays a fundamental role in the regulation of energy production and cell survival. Under physiological conditions, mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake occurs by a uniport mechanism driven electrophoretically by the membrane potential created by the respiratory chain. The activity and the biochemical properties of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) were extensively characterized for decades but the molecular identity of the channel has remained elusive. Here, we review the recent discovery of the mitochondria Ca(2+) uniporter that represents a groundbreaking result for the molecular understanding of mitochondrial Ca(2+) homeostasis and will provide insight into the role of mitochondrial Ca(2+) deregulation in the pathogenesis of human disorders.
线粒体钙摄取在能量产生和细胞存活的调节中起着至关重要的作用。在生理条件下，线粒体钙摄取通过由呼吸链产生的膜电位驱动的单向转运机制发生。几十年来，人们对线粒体钙单向转运体（MCU）的活性和生化特性进行了广泛的研究，但该通道的分子身份仍然难以捉摸。在这里，我们回顾了最近发现的线粒体钙单向转运体，这是对线粒体钙稳态分子理解的突破性结果，并将深入了解线粒体钙失调在人类疾病发病机制中的作用。
