The Involvement of Mg in Regulation of Cellular and Mitochondrial Functions.

Mg is an essential mineral with pleotropic impacts on cellular physiology and functions. It acts as a cofactor of several important enzymes, as a regulator of ion channels such as voltage-dependent Ca channels and K channels and on Ca-binding proteins. In general, Mg is considered as the main intracellular antagonist of Ca, which is an essential secondary messenger initiating or regulating a great number of cellular functions. This review examines the effects of Mg on mitochondrial functions with a particular focus on energy metabolism, mitochondrial Ca handling, and apoptosis.