Uncoupling protein 2: a novel player in neuroprotection

A recent report provides exciting new evidence that suggests that uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), a mitochondrial protein expressed in specific cells of numerous tissues, might be neuroprotective by reducing mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake and preventing mitochondrial accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) following cerebral ischemia. The mitochondrial sequestration of Ca²⁺ and ROS, which depends on the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ_m), is a deleterious consequence of excitotoxicity. A neuroprotective role for Ucp2 is consistent with the already proposed property of this gene in mitigating cellular damage caused by ROS.