Mitochondria and
Apoptosis
LIN Qi-Shui
( State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China )
Abstract Apoptosis is an important
biological process, it plays critical role in cell growth, differentiation as
well as the response toward outside stimulus. Recently it was found that the
mitochondrial transmembrane potential and mitochondrial permeability transition
have a remarkable role in the process of apoptosis. Hypothesis of a
permeability transition pore complex located in the mitochondrial membranes was
postulated and had got extensive interest. This subject was introduced in the
present minireview.
Key Words Apoptosis; mitochondria; permeability
transition pore
Corresponding author:
Tel, 86-21-64374430-248; Fax, 86-21-64338357; e-mail, [email protected]