Immunochemical evidence of the independence of the Ca2+/Na2+ antiporter and electrophoretic Ca2+ uniporter in heart mitochondria

Ca2+ Sensors Assemble: Function of the MCU Complex in the Pancreatic Beta Cell

The Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Complex (MCU Complex) is essential for β-cell function due to its role in sustaining insulin secretion. The MCU complex regulates mitochondrial Ca²⁺ influx, which is necessary for increased ATP production following cellular glucose uptake, keeps the cell membrane K⁺ channels closed following initial insulin release, and ultimately results in sustained insulin granule exocytosis. Dysfunction in Ca²⁺ regulation results in an inability to sustain insulin secretion. This review defines the functions, structure, and mutations associated with the MCU complex members mitochondrial calcium uniporter protein (MCU), essential MCU regulator (EMRE), mitochondrial calcium uptake 1 (MICU1), mitochondrial calcium uptake 2 (MICU2), and mitochondrial calcium uptake 3 (MICU3) in the pancreatic β-cell. This review provides a framework for further evaluation of the MCU complex in β-cell function and insulin secretion.

Mitochondrial calcium exchange in physiology and disease

The uptake of calcium into and extrusion of calcium from the mitochondrial matrix is a fundamental biological process that has critical effects on cellular metabolism, signaling, and survival. Disruption of mitochondrial calcium (mCa2+) cycling is implicated in numerous acquired diseases such as heart failure, stroke, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and cancer and is genetically linked to several inherited neuromuscular disorders. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for mCa2+ exchange therefore holds great promise for the treatment of these diseases. The past decade has seen the genetic identification of many of the key proteins that mediate mitochondrial calcium uptake and efflux. Here, we present an overview of the phenomenon of mCa2+ transport and a comprehensive examination of the molecular machinery that mediates calcium flux across the inner mitochondrial membrane: the mitochondrial uniporter complex (consisting of MCU, EMRE, MICU1, MICU2, MICU3, MCUB, and MCUR1), NCLX, LETM1, the mitochondrial ryanodine receptor, and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. We then consider the physiological implications of mCa2+ flux and evaluate how alterations in mCa2+ homeostasis contribute to human disease. This review concludes by highlighting opportunities and challenges for therapeutic intervention in pathologies characterized by aberrant mCa2+ handling and by summarizing critical unanswered questions regarding the biology of mCa2+ flux.

The debate continues - What is the role of MCU and mitochondrial calcium uptake in the heart?

Since the identification of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) in 2011, several studies utilizing genetic models have attempted to decipher the role of mitochondrial calcium uptake in cardiac physiology. Confounding results in various mutant mouse models have led to an ongoing debate regarding the function of MCU in the heart. In this review, we evaluate and discuss the totality of evidence for mitochondrial calcium uptake in the cardiac stress response and highlight recent reports that implicate MCU in the control of homeostatic cardiac metabolism and function. This review concludes with a discussion of current gaps in knowledge and remaining experiments to define how MCU contributes to contractile function, cell death, metabolic regulation, and heart failure progression.

Calcium transport sensitive to ruthenium red in cytochrome oxidase vesicles reconstituted with mitochondrial proteins

We describe a calcium transport that is sensitive to ruthenium red in liposomes reconstituted with mitochondrial extracts. This system is able to build an internally negative membrane potential, which allows the electrogenic influx of Ca2+ and Sr2+. Proteins with molecular weights higher than 35 kDa were incorporated to the vesicles, and enhanced the accumulation of the cation in an energy-dependent fashion.

Influence of Ca2+ on the isolation from rat brain mitochondria of a fraction enriched of boundary membrane contact sites

Data have been obtained suggesting that the complex porin-hexokinase of brain mitochondria may be related to the contact sites between the outer and inner membrane. In the attempt to isolate from brain mitochondria the inner and outer membranes and the boundary membrane contacts, a procedure was developed based on swelling and shrinking of the organelles, followed by sonication and reverse discontinuous density gradient centrifugation. Three fractions were obtained by this technique, which were identified by measuring the relative specific activities of marker enzymes, namely succinate-cytochrome c reductase; NADH-cytochrome c reductase (rotenone insensitive); hexokinase and glutathione transferase, for the inner and outer membranes and contact sites, respectively. The fraction which contains the contact sites is characterized by the highest specific activity of hexokinase and glutathione transferase and by the highest calcium binding capacity; physiological concentrations of this cation produces a sharper separation of this fraction. Results indicate that both the porin-hexokinase gating system of the outer membrane and the calcium transporting complex of the inner membrane are present in the fraction which contains the contact sites.

The role of hexokinase as a possible modulator of Ca2+ movements in isolated rat brain mitochondria

The present study shows that in brain mitochondria the active calcium uptake and the sodium-dependent calcium efflux are modulated by the porin-bound enzyme hexokinase. The release of the enzyme, promoted by glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P), under conditions which do not affect mitochondrial functions, is accompanied by a decrease of the rates of fluxes of the cation. This phenomenon is discussed and correlated with the formation of microcompartments between the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes, where the hexokinase-porin complex may constitute a regulating gate system for calcium.

Oxaloacetate- and acetoacetate-induced calcium efflux from mitochondria occurs by reversal of the uptake pathway

1. Addition of oxaloacetate or acetoacetate to isolated rat liver mitochondria results in an efflux of Ca2+. Concomitant with this efflux is an immediate oxidation of endogenous nicotinamide nucleotides, a fall in the mitochondrial membrane potential and an increase in the rate of respiration. The primary effect in this sequence may be either (a) physiologically important stimulation of a Ca2+-efflux carrier, followed by Ca2+ re-uptake, a fall in membrane potential and increased respiration, or (b) physiologically unimportant damage to mitochondrial integrity, followed by a fall in membrane potential, increased respiration and Ca2+ efflux. 2. Ruthenium Red and EGTA will restore the increased respiratory rate to one approximating to the control rate of respiration. However, addition of lanthanide, at a concentration which inhibits the uptake but not the normal efflux of Ca2+, inhibits the rate of Ca2+ efflux induced by oxaloacetate or acetoacetate. Therefore the observed efflux is occurring by a reversal of the uptake pathway (uniporter) and thus follows the fall in membrane potential. 3. From these results we conclude that the decrease in membrane potential and increase in the rate of respiration seen during oxaloacetate- or acetoacetate-induced Ca2+ efflux cannot be accounted for by rapid Ca2+ cycling, but are due to damage to mitochondrial integrity.

The transport of cations in mitochondria

The present paper has reviewed several factors related to ion transport and examined the properties of cation transport in mitochondria. The analysis suggests that: (1) The concept that a metabolically dependent electrical potential across the mitochondrial membrane plays a role in determining ion fluxes and steady-state concentrations is not justified and the data indicate that such exchanges are generally electroneutral. (2) Generally, the influx and efflux of an ion proceed by the same mechanism with at least one exception. (3) There are indications that some of the steps in transport are common to several cations. (4) The idea that carrier or ionophoric molecules are involved in cation transport has been examined in some detail together with the possible involvement of some known mitochondrial components. In particular, a model has been introduced in which local charge imbalances produced by H+ fluxes serve as the driving force of transport. The molecules of the complex are arranged in series in a tripartite arrangement including a filter or gate, a nonselective channel and an H+-transferring portion linked to either electron transport or the ATPase. Parts of this model have been introduced by other investigators. Models in which different portions of channels have differing functions have been proposed previously for other transport systems.

Transport of Ca2+ and Na+ across the chromaffin-granule membrane

Bovine chromaffin-granule ghosts accumulate 45Ca2+ in a temperature- and osmotic-shock-sensitive process; the uptake is saturable, with Km 38 microM and Vmax. 28 nmol/min per mg at 37 degrees C. Entry occurs by exchange with Ca2+ bound to the inner surface of the membrane. It is inhibited non-competitively by Na+, La3+ and Ruthenium Red (Ki 10.7 mM, 7 microM and 2 microM respectively), and competitively by Mg2+ (ki 0.9 mM). Uptake was not stimulated by ATP. Na+ induces Ca2+ efflux; Ca2+ can re-enter the ghosts by a process of Ca2+/Na+ exchange. La3+ inhibits Ca2+ efflux during Ca2+-exchange, and Ca2+ efflux induced by Na+, suggesting that Ca2+ uptake and efflux, and Ca2+/Na+ exchange, are catalysed by the same protein. Na+ enters ghosts during CA2+ efflux, but the kinetics of its entry are not exactly similar to the kinetics of Ca2+ efflux. Initially 1-2 Na+ enter per Ca2+ lost, but at equilibrium 3-4 Na+ have replaced each Ca2+. There is no evidence that either Ca2+ uptake or efflux by Ca2+/Na+ exchange is electrogenic, suggesting that the stoichiometry of exchange is Ca2+/2Na+. This exchange reaction may have a role in depleting cytoplasmic Ca2+ after depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry through the adrenal medulla plasma membrane; there is some evidence that there may be an additional entry mechanism for Na+ across the granule membrane.