Calcium mobilization from mitochondria in synaptic transmitter release

Abstract

Mitochondria can rapidly accumulate and release Ca2+ upon cell stimulation. A paper by Yang and coworkers in this issue reports an unusual form of synaptic potentiation, dependent on Ca2+ release from mitochondria through the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and triggered by Na+ entry through voltage-gated channels (Yang et al., 2003).