As a nodal mediator of pyruvate metabolism, the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) plays a pivotal role in many physiological and pathological processes across the human lifespan, from embryonic development to aging-associated neurodegeneration. Emerging research highlights the importance of the MPC in diverse conditions, such as immune cell activation, cancer cell stemness, and dopamine production in Parkinson’s disease models. Whether MPC function ameliorates or contributes to disease is highly specific to tissue and cell type. Cell- and tissue-specific differences in MPC content and activity suggest that MPC function is tightly regulated as a mechanism of metabolic, cellular, and organismal control. Accordingly, recent studies on cancer and diabetes have identified protein–protein interactions, post-translational processes, and transcriptional factors that modulate MPC function. This growing body of literature demonstrates that the MPC and other mitochondrial carriers comprise a versatile and dynamic network undergirding the metabolism of health and disease.

中文翻译：

---

线粒体丙酮酸载体功能在整个生命周期中的健康和疾病。

作为丙酮酸代谢的节点介质，线粒体丙酮酸载体 (MPC) 在人类整个生命周期的许多生理和病理过程中发挥着关键作用，从胚胎发育到衰老相关的神经变性。新兴研究强调了 MPC 在不同条件下的重要性，例如帕金森病模型中的免疫细胞激活、癌细胞干性和多巴胺产生。MPC 功能是改善还是导致疾病对组织和细胞类型具有高度特异性。MPC 含量和活性的细胞和组织特异性差异表明 MPC 功能作为代谢、细胞和有机体控制的机制受到严格调控。因此，最近关于癌症和糖尿病的研究已经确定了蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用、翻译后过程、和调节 MPC 功能的转录因子。越来越多的文献表明 MPC 和其他线粒体载体构成了一个多功能和动态的网络，支撑着健康和疾病的新陈代谢。