Guerra-Castellano A, Márquez I, Pérez-Mejías G, Díaz-Quintana A, De la Rosa MA, Díaz-Moreno I. Post-Translational Modifications of Cytochrome
c in Cell Life and Disease.
Int J Mol Sci 2020;
21:E8483. [PMID:
33187249 PMCID:
PMC7697256 DOI:
10.3390/ijms21228483]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, whilst their malfunction is related to several human pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and various types of cancer. In mitochondrial metabolism, cytochrome c is a small soluble heme protein that acts as an essential redox carrier in the respiratory electron transport chain. However, cytochrome c is likewise an essential protein in the cytoplasm acting as an activator of programmed cell death. Such a dual role of cytochrome c in cell life and death is indeed fine-regulated by a wide variety of protein post-translational modifications. In this work, we show how these modifications can alter cytochrome c structure and functionality, thus emerging as a control mechanism of cell metabolism but also as a key element in development and prevention of pathologies.
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