Mitochondria: are mitochondria accessory to metastasis?

Abstract

Since the nineteenth century the importance of mitochondria in cellular physiology has been growing steadily. Not only the organelle harbors the main systems for ATP generation, but also buffers the redox potential in the cytosol and is one of the protagonists of the intrinsic pathway for apoptosis. In tumor cells, mitochondria went from being dysfunctional compartments to playing a supportive or perhaps even a triggering part in metastasis. This "Organelle In Focus" article discusses the classical metabolic events that occur in mitochondria and why these pathways could be essential for the onset of the malignant phenotype. Finally, we propose that the oxidative metabolism of tumor cells in conjunction with the inactivation of anoikis may have been coopted through a non-adaptive evolutionary process.

Keywords: Anoikis resistance; Metastasis; Mitochondrial respiration; Oxidative metabolism; Tumor microenvironment.