Professor Yoon Jin-ho's Team at Dong-A University Proposes New Treatment Strategy for Intractable Diseases... 'Mitophagy Mechanism Study'

Identification of Essential Core Genes for Promoting Neuronal Mitophagy and Survival

The research team led by Professor Yoon Jin-ho of the College of Medicine at Dong-A University (President Lee Hae-woo) has discovered a new key gene that regulates neuronal survival and mitochondrial function.

The results of Professor Yoon's team were published online in Experimental & Molecular Medicine (Impact Factor 12.8). This journal is a prestigious publication ranking in the top 5.1% in the field of medical research and holds the highest citation index among scientific journals published in South Korea.

The paper titled “The Mst1/2-BNIP3 axis is required for mitophagy induction and neuronal viability under mitochondrial stress” lists Professor Yoon as the corresponding author, with Daejin Jeong (PhD student), Ji-hyun Eom (research professor), and Young-yeon Kim (research professor) as co-first authors.

Research team that published their findings on mitophagy mechanisms in the world-renowned journal Experimental Molecular Medicine. (From left: Professor Jin-Ho Yoon, PhD candidate Dae-Jin Jung, Research Professor Ji-Hyun Eom, Research Professor Young-Yeon Kim)

In this study, Professor Yoon's team first identified that ‘Mst1’ and ‘Mst2’, key kinases in the Hippo signaling pathway, play an essential role in activating mitophagy, a mechanism that selectively removes damaged mitochondria under mitochondrial stress conditions.

Until now, ‘Mst1’ and ‘Mst2’ were known to be important regulators of tissue size control and regeneration through the Hippo signaling pathway.

The team demonstrated that under various mitochondrial stress conditions, the kinase activities of ‘Mst1’ and ‘Mst2’ are activated and induce mitophagy independently of the well-known ‘PINK1-Parkin’ pathways involved in Hippo signaling and mitophagy activation.

They also elucidated the molecular mechanism by which ‘Mst1’ and ‘Mst2’ regulate the stability of ‘BNIP3’, a mitochondrial receptor, thereby inducing mitophagy.

Furthermore, the study confirmed through human neuronal cell lines and Drosophila models that the function of Mst1/2 is particularly important for neuronal survival under stress.

The research also showed that increasing the expression of ‘Mst1’ in a Parkinson’s disease mouse model induced by neurotoxins improved mitochondrial function, prevented dopaminergic neuronal death, and alleviated behavioral abnormalities, suggesting potential therapeutic applications.

Professor Yoon explained the significance of this research, stating, “We have come to understand that multiple signaling pathways intricately regulate mitophagy, and this regulation could represent a new therapeutic strategy for intractable diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.”

He added, “Thanks to various support, this research was possible, and I will devote my efforts to conducting studies that can truly help patients.”

Professor Yoon’s research team is a leading group in the field of mitophagy research in South Korea, focusing on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of mitophagy and developing treatments for intractable human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, by utilizing mitophagy-promoting substances.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.