Mitochondrial Ca, 2÷ uptake is a process of great biochemical and physiological
interest. It has been shown to be linked directly to the fundamental
energy transducing system in the inner mitochondrial membrane, to have
the capacity to transport rapidly large amounts of calcium from cytosol to
the inner mitochondrial matrix space, and to be ubiquitous in mammalian
mitochondria. It has been the subject of a vast amount of research work,
much of which is summarized in several recent cogent reviews (Fiskum
and Lehninger 1982; Nicholls and ~kerman 1982; .~kerman and Nicholls
1983). In addition to this uptake process, there is a parallel effiux pathway
by which Ca 2÷ leaves the mitochondrion, and it has been realized
rather recently that there is in fact a continuous cycling of the ion across
the mitochondrial membrane.