Mitochondrial Calcium in mdx Myocytes

How is Ca2+ cycling in the heart altered in cardiomyopathy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy? Does a lack of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin cause a perturbation in communication between L-type calcium channels and mitochondria? In our latest podcast on the work by Viola et al., Associate Editor Meredith Bond hosts a discussion with lead author Livia Hool (The University of Western Australia) and expert Angela Dulhunty (Australian National University). We examine the effect of disruption of the myocyte cytoskeleton in the mdx mouse model. We address the role of the myocyte cytoskeleton in regulating communication between plasma membrane and mitochondria, and we tackle potential clinical applications for muscular dystrophy patients. Listen now.

Helena M. Viola, Stefan M. K. Davies, Aleksandra Filipovska, and Livia C. Hool L-type Ca2+ channel contributes to alterations in mitochondrial calcium handling in the mdx ventricular myocyte Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online January 18, 2013, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00700.2012.