Description
Product Characteristics:
Forms a channel through the mitochondrial outer membrane and also the plasma membrane. The channel at the outer mitochondrial membrane allows diffusion of small hydrophilic molecules, in the plasma membrane it is involved in cell volume regulation and apoptosis. It adopts an open conformation at low or zero membrane potential and a closed conformation at potentials above 30-40 mV. The open state has a weak anion selectivity whereas the closed state is cation-selective. May participate in the formation of the permeability transition pore complex (PTPC) responsible for the release of mitochondrial products that triggers apoptosis.
Subcellular location: Cytoplasm, Cell membrane
Synonyms: hVDAC3, mVDAC3, Porin, Outer mitochondrial membrane protein porin 3, voltage dependent anion channel 3.
Target Information: This gene encodes a voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), and belongs to the mitochondrial porin family. VDACs are small, integral membrane proteins that traverse the outer mitochondrial membrane and conduct ATP and other small metabolites. They are known to bind several kinases of intermediary metabolism, thought to be involved in translocation of adenine nucleotides, and are hypothesized to form part of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, which results in the release of cytochrome c at the onset of apoptotic cell death. Alternatively transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been described for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2011]