Mitochondrial permeability transition pore

The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP or MPTP; also referred to as PTP, mTP, or MTP) is a protein pore complex that forms in the inner mitochondrial membrane under certain pathological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, ischemia, and stroke. Opening of the pore causes an increase in the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane to solutes with a molecular mass less than 1,500 daltons, leading to loss of membrane potential, swelling of the organelle, rupture of the outer membrane, and eventual cell death.

The mPTP is thought to be regulated by multiple mitochondrial proteins. Historically, Cyclophilin D and the TSPO (formerly the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor) have been considered central components. In 2025, the AAA+ ATPase protein ATAD3A was identified as a novel upstream regulator of mPTP opening. Loss of ATAD3A was shown to prevent calcium-induced pore formation and render mitochondria insensitive to cyclosporin A, suggesting it acts upstream of Cyclophilin D and is essential for permeability transition under stress.