The physiological role of mitochondrial calcium revealed by mice lacking the mitochondrial calcium uniporter
- PMID: 24212091
- PMCID: PMC3852190
- DOI: 10.1038/ncb2868
The physiological role of mitochondrial calcium revealed by mice lacking the mitochondrial calcium uniporter
Abstract
Mitochondrial calcium has been postulated to regulate a wide range of processes from bioenergetics to cell death. Here, we characterize a mouse model that lacks expression of the recently discovered mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU). Mitochondria derived from MCU(-/-) mice have no apparent capacity to rapidly uptake calcium. Whereas basal metabolism seems unaffected, the skeletal muscle of MCU(-/-) mice exhibited alterations in the phosphorylation and activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase. In addition, MCU(-/-) mice exhibited marked impairment in their ability to perform strenuous work. We further show that mitochondria from MCU(-/-) mice lacked evidence for calcium-induced permeability transition pore (PTP) opening. The lack of PTP opening does not seem to protect MCU(-/-) cells and tissues from cell death, although MCU(-/-) hearts fail to respond to the PTP inhibitor cyclosporin A. Taken together, these results clarify how acute alterations in mitochondrial matrix calcium can regulate mammalian physiology.
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Comment in
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Calcium: 'Working out' mitochondrial calcium.Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2013 Dec;14(12):750. doi: 10.1038/nrm3704. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2013. PMID: 24263350 No abstract available.
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Life without the mitochondrial calcium uniporter.Nat Cell Biol. 2013 Dec;15(12):1398-400. doi: 10.1038/ncb2891. Nat Cell Biol. 2013. PMID: 24296416
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