Abstract
Mitochondria are essential for maintaining cell life but they also play a role in regulating cell death, which occurs when their membranes become permeabilized. Mitochondria possess two distinct membrane systems including an outer membrane in close communication with the cytosol and an inner membrane involved in energy transduction. Outer membrane permeabilization is regulated by Bcl-2 family proteins, which control the release of proteins from the mitochondrial intermembrane space; these proteins then activate apoptosis. Inner membrane permeabilization is regulated by the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), which is activated by calcium and oxidative stress and leads to bioenergetic failure and necrosis. The purpose of this review is to discuss the biochemical mechanisms regulating mitochondrial membrane permeabilization; this is crucial to our understanding of the role of cell death in diseases such as cancer and the neurodegenerative diseases.
Keywords
Cell biologyTranslocase of the inner membraneMitochondrionIntermembrane spaceBiologyCytosolMitochondrial membrane transport proteinMitochondrial intermembrane spaceTranslocase of the outer membraneProgrammed cell deathInner mitochondrial membraneMitochondrial carrierMitochondrial permeability transition poreInner membraneMitochondrial apoptosis-induced channelBacterial outer membraneApoptosisBiochemistry
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Publication Info
- Year
- 2006
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 253-260
- Citations
- 246
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
Jeffrey S. Armstrong
(2006).
Mitochondrial membrane permeabilization: the sine qua non for cell death.
BioEssays
, 28
(3)
, 253-260.
https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.20370
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1002/bies.20370