The mitochondrial permeability transition pore and ischemia-reperfusion injury

Mitochondrial dysfunction is an underlying cause of ischemia-reperfusion injury. In particular, ischemic injury induces dramatic increases in mitochondrial permeability, thereby instigating a chain of events that leads to both apoptotic and necrotic cardiomyocyte death. The mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore, a large, non-specific channel that spans the inner mitochondrial membrane, is known to mediate the lethal permeability changes that initiate mitochondrial-driven cardiomyocyte death. The purpose of this review is to focus on the role of the MPT pore in ischemia-reperfusion injury, the mechanisms involved, and, in particular, what we do and do not know regarding the pore's molecular composition.