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Overview
Calcium ions are universal and versatile signaling molecules. Their functions include muscle contraction, neuron excitability, and cell growth. Mitochondria regulate and decode calcium inputs that are necessary for many functions. Mitochondrial calcium regulates mitochondrial metabolism and has an impact in apoptosis, which will be talked about in greater depths later. This is important due to the fact an uncontrolled increase of calcium in the cytoplasm or prolonged presence of calcium in the mitochondria leads to apoptosis[3] The history behind the MCU came from the idea that individual mitochondria could take up high levels of calcium using ATP-derived energy founded in the 1960s.At resting conditions, the concentration of calcium in the mitochondria is around the same as in the cytoplasm (100-200 nM), but it can accumulate up to 10-20x that amount when stimulated. Calcium uptake into the mitochondrial matrix is driven by the membrane potential created by the electron transport chain. The calcium can flow through the outer membrane with ease as it is highly permeable, due to the pores formed by voltage-dependent anion-selective channel proteins. Now for the calcium pass through the inner membrane the MCU is needed. There are other pathways for calcium to get through the inner membrane but MCU is by far the most dominant. [4]
Structure
Selectivity Filter
Common Mutations
Medical Relevance
Diabetes
Cancer
Alzheimer's
Other
Regulation/Inhibition
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