Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2025

Analyses of Mitochondrial Calcium Influx in Isolated Mitochondria and Cultured Cells
Published on: April 27, 2018
Unravelling the complexity of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter: regulation, tissue specificity, and physiological
Denis Vecellio Reane1, Julian D C Serna2, Anna Raffaello3
1Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC), Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Germany.
Abstract:
Calcium (Ca2+) signalling acts a pleiotropic message within the cell that is decoded by the mitochondria through a sophisticated ion channel known as the Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uniporter (MCU) complex. Under physiological conditions, mitochondrial Ca2+ signalling is crucial for coordinating cell activation with energy production. Conversely, in pathological scenarios, it can determine the fine balance between cell survival and death. Over the last decade, significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular bases of mitochondrial Ca2+ signalling. This began with the elucidation of the MCU channel components and extended to the elucidation of the mechanisms that regulate its activity. Additionally, increasing evidence suggests molecular mechanisms allowing tissue-specific modulation of the MCU complex, tailoring channel activity to the specific needs of different tissues or cell types. This review aims to explore the latest evidence elucidating the regulation of the MCU complex, the molecular factors controlling the tissue-specific properties of the channel, and the physiological and pathological implications of mitochondrial Ca2+ signalling in different tissues.
Related Concept Videos
Structure of Porins
The ADP/ATP Carrier Protein
The Significance of Membrane Transport
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
Mitochondrial Protein Sorting
Most of these mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nucleus and imported to the mitochondria as unfolded or loosely folded precursors. Mitochondrial precursors...
Energy to Drive Translocation
Generally, polypeptides are unfolded by two distinct...
Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria
Sorting of outer membrane proteins:
Mitochondrial outer membrane proteins are of two types: the transmembrane, beta-barrel porins, and the membrane-anchored, alpha-helical proteins. Beta-barrel porin precursors are translocated by the TOM complex and inserted into the outer mitochondrial membrane by the SAM complex. In contrast,...

