Annexin A5 controls VDAC1-dependent mitochondrial Ca²⁺ homeostasis and determines cellular susceptibility to apoptosis

Annexin A5 (AnxA5) is a Ca²⁺-dependent phospholipid-binding protein associated with the regulation of intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis. However, the precise role of AnxA5 in controlling mitochondrial Ca²⁺ signaling remains elusive. This study reveals a novel function of AnxA5 in regulating mitochondrial Ca²⁺ signaling by localizing at and within the mitochondria. AnxA5 orchestrates intermembrane space Ca²⁺ signaling upon high Ca²⁺ elevations induced by ER Ca²⁺ release, enhancing Ca²⁺ flux through the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) by promoting the Ca²⁺-permeable state of voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1). AnxA5 modulates intermembrane space Ca²⁺ signaling, influencing mitochondrial ultrastructure and the dynamicity of the mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter. By controlling VDAC1’s oligomeric state, AnxA5 protects against cisplatin and selenite-induced apoptotic cell death, highlighting its role as an integral regulator of VDAC1 in physiological and pathological conditions.

Furkan E Oflaz, Alexander I Bondarenko, Michael Trenker, Markus Waldeck-Weiermair, Benjamin Gottschalk, Eva Bernhart, Zhanat Koshenov, Snježana Radulović, Rene Rost, Martin Hirtl, Johannes Pilic, Aditya Karunanithi Nivedita, Adlet Sagintayev, Gerd Leitinger, Bent Brachvogel, Susanne Summerauer, Varda Shoshan-Barmatz, Roland Malli, Wolfgang F Graier