Mitochondria play a central part in cellular survival and apoptotic death. These processes are highly regulated by pro- and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 superfamily members. A key feature within apoptosis cascades is disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and apoptogenic protein release, caused by opening of the permeability transition pore (PT). New data, however, indicate that mitochondri...

RATIONALE Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in aging, chronic degenerative neurological syndromes, and myopathies. On the basis of free radical hypothesis, dietary, pharmacological, and genetic ROS suppression has been tested to minimize tissue damage, with remarkable therapeutic efficacy. The effects of mitochondrial-specific ROS suppression in primary mitophagic dysfu...

RATIONALE The mitochondrial permeability transition pore is a well-known initiator of cell death that is increasingly recognized as a physiological modulator of cellular metabolism. OBJECTIVE We sought to identify how the genetic deletion of a key regulatory subunit of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, cyclophilin D (CypD), influenced endothelial metabolism and intracellular sig...

BACKGROUND Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a well known transcriptional regulator, active as heterodimer in association with coactivators and corepressors. In addition it has been described the extranuclear distribution of the receptor and in particular the recently reported mitochondrial localization in platelets and megakaryocytes is intriguing because it appears to be a common feature of steroid...

Mitochondria dominate the process of life-and-death decisions of the cell. Continuous generation of ATP is essential for cell sustenance, but, on the other hand, mitochondria play a central role in the orchestra of events that lead to apoptotic cell death. Changes of mitochondrial volume contribute to the modulation of physiological mitochondrial function, and several ion permeability pathways ...