title: The Roles of Mitochondrial Cation Channels Under Physiological Conditions and in Cancer.
abstract: Bioenergetics has become central to our understanding of pathological mechanisms as well as the development of new therapeutic strategies and as a tool for gauging disease progression in neurodegeneration, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The view is emerging that inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) cation channels have a profound effect on mitochondrial function and, consequently, on the metabolic state and survival of the whole cell. Since disruption of the sustained integrity of mitochondria is strongly linked to human disease, pharmacological intervention offers a new perspective concerning neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding IMM cation channels and their roles under physiological conditions as well as in cancer, with special emphasis on potassium channels and the mammalian mitochondrial calcium uniporter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. ildiko.szabo@unipd.it.|CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padua, Italy. ildiko.szabo@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Ildikò
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szabò
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. luigi.leanza@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leanza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; C430096:MRS2 protein, human; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D015221:Potassium Channels; C117780:mitochondrial K(ATP) channel; C034703:mitochondrial calcium uniporter; D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Calcium uptake; Cancer; Magnesium channel; Mitochondria; Potassium channels