The role of mitochondria in cell fate regulation

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that play fundamental roles in pivotal cellular processes. In our lab we are specifically interested in understanding how these different mitochondrial processes are regulated/coordinated to determine the fate of our cells. Many of our studies are focused on mitochondrial carrier homolog 2 (MTCH2) that acts as a receptor for the pro-apoptotic BID protein. Interestingly, conditional knockout of MTCH2 in several different mouse tissues results in significant alterations to mitochondria function and structure leading to changes in cell fate and disease outcome. A better understanding of MTCH2’s mechanism of action will likely uncover hidden connections between the many functions of mitochondria and cell death processes.