Curious Case of a Leaky Mitochondria

The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) leads to cell death upon its activation. The past several decades have seen many studies regarding the modulation of the mPTP, but little is known about the structure. There has been a growing body of evidence that the ATP synthase c-subunit houses the mPTP leak channel. Experimental evidence has shown that ATP Synthase forms voltage-gated and Ca2+-activated channels, consistent to what is known about mPTP activation. Previous experimental and molecular dynamics simulation studies demonstrate that the ATP synthase c-subunit is occupied by lipid and/or detergent molecules, claiming that a leak channel cannot be formed and that ATP synthase does not play a role in mPTP formation.