Documento Fuente
Csordás G, Golenár T, Seifert EL, Kamer KJ, Sancak Y, Perocchi F, Moffat C, Weaver D, Perez SF, Bogorad R, Koteliansky V, Adijanto J, Mootha VK, Hajnóczky G. MICU1 controls both the threshold and cooperative activation of the mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter. Cell Metab. 2013 Jun 4;17(6):976-987. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2013.04.020. PMID: 23747253; PMCID: PMC3722067.
Abstract
Mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake via the uniporter is central to cell metabolism, signaling, and survival. Recent studies identified MCU as the uniporter's likely pore and MICU1, an EF-hand protein, as its critical regulator. How this complex decodes dynamic cytoplasmic [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)]c) signals, to tune out small [Ca(2+)]c increases yet permit pulse transmission, remains unknown. We report that loss of MICU1 in mouse liver and cultured cells causes mitochondrial Ca(2+) accumulation during small [Ca(2+)]c elevations but an attenuated response to agonist-induced [Ca(2+)]c pulses. The latter reflects loss of positive cooperativity, likely via the EF-hands. MICU1 faces the intermembrane space and responds to [Ca(2+)]c changes. Prolonged MICU1 loss leads to an adaptive increase in matrix Ca(2+) binding, yet cells show impaired oxidative metabolism and sensitization to Ca(2+) overload. Collectively, the data indicate that MICU1 senses the [Ca(2+)]c to establish the uniporter's threshold and gain, thereby allowing mitochondria to properly decode different inputs.
