title: Plant VDAC: facts and speculations.
abstract: The voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) is the most abundant protein in the mitochondrial outer membrane and the major transport pathway for a large variety of compounds ranging from ions to large polymeric molecules such as DNA and tRNA. Plant VDACs feature a secondary structure content and electrophysiological properties akin to those of VDACs from other organisms. They however undergo a specific regulation. The general importance of VDAC in plant physiology has only recently emerged. Besides their role in metabolite transport, plant VDACs are also involved in the programmed cell death triggered in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Moreover, their colocalization in non-mitochondrial membranes suggests a diversity of function. This review summarizes our current understanding of the structure and function of plant VDACs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: VDAC structure, function, and regulation of mitochondrial metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Structure et Fontion des Membranes Biologiques, Centre de Biologie Structurale et de Bioinformatique, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe CP, Brussels, Belgium. fhomble@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Homblé
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Krammer
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prévost
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D050994:Voltage-Dependent Anion Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D050994:Voltage-Dependent Anion Channels