Calcium and mitochondria: mechanisms and functions of a troubled relationship

Mitochondria promptly respond to Ca2+-mediated cell stimulations with a rapid accumulation of the cation into the matrix. In this article, we review (i) the basic principles of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport, (ii) the physiological/pathological role of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, (iii) the regulatory mechanisms that may operate in vivo, and (iv) the new targeted Ca2+ probes that allowed the rediscovery of these organelles in calcium signalling. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.