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Overview
Reference practice [3]
Structure
Selectivity Filter
Common Mutations
Medical Relevance
A number of medical conditions all over the body are caused by disruption of the homeostasis of mitochondrial calcium. Diabetes, heart failure, and cancer are just a few members of this broad group of conditions.
Diabetes
In healthy individuals, the 𝛽-cells in the pancreas are responsible for sensing the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream and releasing the appropriate amount of insulin in response. While the mechanism of this activation isn't entirely understood, we can explain a large portion of it in the context of mitochondrial calcium homeostasis. Increased concentration of glucose causes glycolysis in the cell, which increases the amount of ATP. This increase of ATP closes potassium channels in the membrane of the 𝛽-cell which causes depolarization of the membrane. When a certain threshold potential is reached, calcium channels open and create microdomains of calcium below the plasma membrane which allows insulin release by activatin PKC 𝛽-type II. Furthermore, there is a pool of mitochondria in 𝛽-cells near the calcium channels which take in the calcium through the MCU. The mitochondria then create more ATP which sustains and amplifies insulin secretion [3].
Any defect in the MCU affects the homeostasis of calcium in the mitochondria. In this case, it can cause insulin secretion to be diminished which can be a causal factor for diabetes I and II.
Heart Failure
Cancer
Regulation/Inhibition
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