Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids. 2019 Apr 02. pii: S1388-1981(19)30047-2. [Epub ahead of print]
Cardiolipin (CL) is a key phospholipid of the mitochondria. A loss of CL content and remodeling of CL's acyl chains is observed in several pathologies. Strong shifts in CL concentration and acyl chain composition would presumably disrupt mitochondrial inner membrane biophysical organization. However, it remains unclear in the literature as to which is the key regulator of mitochondrial membrane biophysical properties. We review the literature to discriminate the effects of CL concentration and acyl chain composition on mitochondrial membrane organization. A widely applicable theme emerges across several pathologies, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Barth syndrome, and neurodegenerative ailments. The loss of CL, often accompanied by increased levels of lyso-CLs, impairs mitochondrial inner membrane organization. Modest remodeling of CL acyl chains is not a major driver of impairments and only in cases of extreme remodeling is there an influence on membrane properties.
Keywords: Acyl chain remodeling; Cardiolipin; Cardiolipin content; Microdomains; Mitochondrial structure-function; Supercomplexes