Figure 4.

Mitochondrial bioenergetic regulation of cancer cell survival and death evasion.

Mitochondria confer cancer survival and death evasion through the leveraging of highly plastic, conserved, and interconnected biological processes orchestrated through a dynamic bioenergetic system. Energy transformation through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and electron transfer (ET) are dictated by coupling efficiency, the subcellular ADP/ATP ratios, and the availability of reducing equivalents. Redox networks within the mitochondria provide reducing equivalents requisite for energy transformation as well as managing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced. The mitochondria require ion and molecule transport into the organelle to sustain mitochondrial morphology, driving forces, and functions. Additionally, mitochondria provide molecules and ions to the cancer cell. These metabolic byproducts can highly influence cell fate through molecular signaling cascades generated from the mitochondria.