Stress Signaling and Cell Fate Determination: The Role of Mitochondria
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cell biology; organelle interactions; neurodegenerative disease
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mitochondria, far beyond their role as cellular powerhouses, are pivotal integrators and transducers of signals that critically determine cellular fate. These dynamic organelles orchestrate a complex interplay of signaling pathways, profoundly influencing cellular homeostasis, stress adaptation, and the critical decision points that lead to cell death. Mitochondrial signaling encompasses diverse mechanisms, such as inter-organelle communication (e.g., with the endoplasmic reticulum and nucleus), the release of crucial molecules like reactive oxygen species (ROS), calcium, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and the activation of integrated stress responses and retrograde signaling pathways that communicate mitochondrial status to the rest of the cell.
This Special Issue aims to thoroughly explore the intricate contributions of mitochondria to cellular demise mechanisms and associated stress responses, highlighting how these responses dictate cell survival or elimination. We invite original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and insightful mini-reviews that delve into the molecular mechanisms by which mitochondrial signals initiate, propagate, or regulate cell fate decisions under various stress conditions. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, mitochondrial-nuclear retrograde signaling, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitochondrial quality control (e.g., mitophagy) as determinants of cell fate in response to stress, as well as the activation of integrated stress responses by mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to cell survival or programmed cell death. By consolidating cutting-edge research, this issue seeks to advance our understanding of mitochondrial signaling in cellular fate determination and highlight potential avenues for therapeutic intervention in diseases characterized by aberrant cell death.
Dr. Daniel Maddison
Dr. Bilal Malik
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- mitochondria
- cell death
- integrated stress response
- retrograde signaling
- apoptosis
- necroptosis
- ferroptosis
- mitophagy
- mitochondrial dynamics
- ROS
- calcium signaling
- inter-organelle communication
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