Cardiolipin is an important component of the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it constitutes about 20% of the total lipid composition. The name ‘cardiolipin’ is derived from the fact that it was first found in animal hearts. It was first isolated from beef heart in the early 1940s. In mammalian cells, cardiolipin (CL) is found almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane where it is essential for the optimal function of numerous enzymes that are involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism.
Cardiolipin is a kind of diphosphatidylglycerol lipid. Two phosphatidylglycerols connect with a glycerol backbone in the center to form a dimmeric structure. So it has four alkyl groups and potentially carries two negative charges. As there are four distinct alkyl chains in cardiolipin, the potential for complexity of this molecule species is enormous.
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