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Letter

Nature Cell Biology 9, 550–555 (1 May 2007) | doi:10.1038/ncb1575

Voltage-dependent anion channels are dispensable for mitochondrial-dependent cell death

Christopher P. Baines , Robert A. Kaiser , Tatiana Sheiko , William J. Craigen & Jeffery D. Molkentin

Mitochondria are critically involved in necrotic cell death induced by Ca2+ overload, hypoxia and oxidative damage. The mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore — a protein complex that spans both the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes — is considered the mediator of this event and has been hypothesized to minimally consist of the voltage-dependent anion channel (Vdac) in the outer membrane, the adenine-nucleotide translocase (Ant) in the inner membrane and cyclophilin-D in the matrix.