Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Quality Control in Neurodegenerative Disorders

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cells of the Nervous System".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 27 February 2026 | Viewed by 584

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, Illinois State University, Normal IL, USA
Interests: biochemistry; protein quality control; mitochondrial quality control; mitophagy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One salient feature that underpins the development of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), is the dysregulation of mitochondrial function. Mammalian cells have evolved sophisticated quality control mechanisms to identify, repair, and/or eliminate abnormal and/or dysfunctional mitochondria. Chaperones identify any unstable or abnormal conformations in mitochondrial proteins and often help them to regain their correct conformation Nevertheless, if repair is not an option, the dysregulated protein is degraded. The autophagy–lysosomal system and ubiquitin–proteasome system mediate the selective and targeted degradation of abnormal or aberrant protein fragments. Mitophagy (a specific kind of autophagy) mediates the selective removal of the dysfunctional or abnormal mitochondrion from the cell to prevent the propagation of dysfunctional mitochondria.

Despite the increasing understanding of the molecular counteracting responses toward dysfunctional mitochondria, molecular knowledge regarding the physiological and pathophysiological implications of different protein quality control and mitochondrial quality control pathways are still emerging. This Special Issue aims to cover in-depth manuscripts that provide valuable insights into the different mechanisms of mitochondrial quality control and mitochondrial degradation (mitophagy) in context of Parkinson’s disease, ranging from basic research to translational research. Original research articles, timely reviews, and short communications are welcome.

Dr. Mohamed Eldeeb
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • protein degradation
  • protein quality control
  • proteasome
  • ubiquitin
  • autophagy
  • mitophagy
  • mitochondrial quality control
  • mitochondrial import
  • proteolysis
  • neurodegeneration

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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7 pages, 1795 KiB  
Commentary
The Ac/N-Degron Domain of MARCHF6 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase and Its Role in Regulating Ferroptosis
by Hope Omoniyi, Grace Hohman and Mohamed Eldeeb
Cells 2025, 14(13), 954; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14130954 - 22 Jun 2025
Viewed by 202
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a form of cell death characterized by iron and reactive oxygen species accumulation. Notably, this mode of cell death has been shown to exhibit significant implications for aging-related disorders including tumorigenesis and neurodegeneration. Nonetheless, the intricate underlying molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis [...] Read more.
Ferroptosis is a form of cell death characterized by iron and reactive oxygen species accumulation. Notably, this mode of cell death has been shown to exhibit significant implications for aging-related disorders including tumorigenesis and neurodegeneration. Nonetheless, the intricate underlying molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis and their differential roles in the molecular etiology of these diseases are still elusive. Elucidating the precise molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis is, thus, important for understanding the molecular basis of these diseases and unveiling potential therapeutic targets. MARCHF6 is an E3 ub ligase involved in regulating various cellular processes throughout the cell including ferroptosis. Research findings by Yang et al. identified a novel role of MARCHF6 E3 ub ligase in recognizing Ac/N-degron bearing substrates, which includes pro-ferroptotic and anti-ferroptotic proteins, demonstrating a regulatory role for MARCHF6 in fine-tuning ferroptosis. Herein, we highlight these recent findings and discuss the potential role of MARCHF6 in modulating ferroptosis pointing to the emerging role of MARCHF6 as a potential therapeutic target for treating ferroptosis-related diseases. Full article
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