UNIPROT #

Q8NE86

PROTEIN NAME

MCU

SYNONYMS

C109A_HUMAN antibody; C10orf42 antibody; Calcium uniporter protein mitochondrial antibody; Ccdc109a antibody; Coiled-coil domain-containing protein 109A antibody; HsMCU antibody; Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter antibody

SEQUENCE SIMILARITIES

Belongs to the MCU (TC 1.A.77) family.

POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATION

Phosphorylation by CaMK2 in heart leads to increased MCU current. The regulation of MCU by CaMK2 is however subject to discussion: another group was unable to reproduce these results. Phosphorylated on tyrosines by PTK2B/PYK2, promoting oligomerization.

SUBCELLULAR LOCATION

Mitochondrion.

FUNCTION

Mitochondrial inner membrane calcium uniporter that mediates calcium uptake into mitochondria. Constitutes the pore-forming and calcium-conducting subunit of the uniporter complex. Activity is regulated by MICU1 and MICU2. At low Ca2+ levels MCU activity is down-regulated by MICU1 and MICU2; at higher Ca2+ levels MICU1 increases MCU activity. Mitochondrial calcium homeostasis plays key roles in cellular physiology and regulates cell bioenergetics, cytoplasmic calcium signals and activation of cell death pathways. Involved in buffering the amplitude of systolic calcium rises in cardiomyocytes. While dispensable for baseline homeostatic cardiac function, acts as a key regulator of short-term mitochondrial calcium loading underlying a 'fight-or-flight' response during acute stress: acts by mediating a rapid increase of mitochondrial calcium in pacemaker cells.