The mitochondrial Ca channel MCU is critical for tumor growth by supporting cell cycle progression and proliferation.

The mitochondrial uniporter (MCU) Ca ion channel represents the primary means for Ca uptake by mitochondria. Mitochondrial matrix Ca plays critical roles in mitochondrial bioenergetics by impinging upon respiration, energy production and flux of biochemical intermediates through the TCA cycle. Inhibition of MCU in oncogenic cell lines results in an energetic crisis and reduced cell proliferation unless media is supplemented with nucleosides, pyruvate or α-KG. Nevertheless, the roles of MCU-mediated Ca influx in cancer cells remain unclear, in part because of a lack of genetic models. MCU was genetically deleted in transformed murine fibroblasts for study and . Tumor formation and growth were studied in murine xenograft models. Proliferation, cell invasion, spheroid formation and cell cycle progression were measured . The effects of MCU deletion on survival and cell-death were determined by probing for live/death markers. Mitochondrial bioenergetics were studied by measuring mitochondrial matrix Ca concentration, membrane potential, global dehydrogenase activity, respiration, ROS production and inactivating-phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase. The effects of MCU rescue on metabolism were examined by tracing of glucose and glutamine utilization for fueling of mitochondrial respiration. Transformation of primary fibroblasts was associated with increased MCU expression, enhanced MCU-mediated Ca uptake, altered mitochondrial matrix Ca concentration responses to agonist stimulation, suppression of inactivating-phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase and a modest increase of mitochondrial respiration. Genetic MCU deletion inhibited growth of HEK293T cells and transformed fibroblasts in mouse xenograft models, associated with reduced proliferation and delayed cell-cycle progression. MCU deletion inhibited cancer stem cell-like spheroid formation and cell invasion , both predictors of metastatic potential. Surprisingly, mitochondrial matrix [Ca], membrane potential, global dehydrogenase activity, respiration and ROS production were unaffected. In contrast, MCU deletion elevated glycolysis and glutaminolysis, strongly sensitized cell proliferation to glucose and glutamine limitation, and altered agonist-induced cytoplasmic Ca signals. Our results reveal a dependence of tumorigenesis on MCU, mediated by a reliance on MCU for cell metabolism and Ca dynamics necessary for cell-cycle progression and cell proliferation.