Molecular Mechanisms of Leucine Zipper EF-Hand Containing Transmembrane Protein-1 Function in Health and Disease

Mitochondrial calcium (Ca(2+)) uptake shapes cytosolic Ca(2+) signals involved in countless cellular processes and more directly regulates numerous mitochondrial functions including ATP production, autophagy and apoptosis. Given the intimate link to both life and death processes, it is imperative that mitochondria tightly regulate intramitochondrial Ca(2+) levels with a high degree of precision. Among the Ca(2+) handling tools of mitochondria, the leucine zipper EF-hand containing transmembrane protein-1 (LETM1) is a transporter protein localized to the inner mitochondrial membrane shown to constitute a Ca(2+)/H(+) exchanger activity. The significance of LETM1 to mitochondrial Ca(2+) regulation is evident from Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome patients that harbor a haplodeficiency in LETM1 expression, leading to dysfunctional mitochondrial Ca(2+) handling and from numerous types of cancer cells that show an upregulation of LETM1 expression. Despite the significance of LETM1 to cell physiology and pathophysiology, the molecular mechanisms of LETM1 function remain poorly defined. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the current understanding of LETM1 structure and function and pinpoint the knowledge gaps that need to be filled in order to unravel the underlying mechanistic basis for LETM1 function.