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Updated: Jul 29, 2025

Analyses of Mitochondrial Calcium Influx in Isolated Mitochondria and Cultured Cells
Published on: April 27, 2018
Regulatory mechanisms of mitochondrial calcium uptake by the calcium uniporter complex
Akiko Yamada1, Akira Watanabe2, Takenori Yamamoto2,3
1Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
Abstract:
Mitochondria play an important role in energy conversion as well as in intracellular calcium (Ca2+) storage. Ca2+ uptake from the cytosol to the mitochondria is mediated by the calcium uniporter, which functions as a Ca2+ ion channel. However, the molecular composition of this uniporter has remained unclear until recently. The Ca2+ ion channel consists of seven subunits. The yeast reconstitution technique revealed that the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) and essential MCU regulatory element (EMRE) are the core subunits of the complex. Furthermore, detailed structure-function analyses of the core subunits (MCU and EMRE) were performed. In this review, the regulatory mechanism of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake is discussed.
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