A06 | The role of mitochondria for cellular protection against ferroptosis
Prof. Dr. Thomas Langer
Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing
Contact: langer(at)age.mpg.de
For more information visit: Langer Lab
Abstract
Mitochondria play an active role in cell death control and are emerging as central regulators of innate immunity. In addition to their well-described role in apoptosis, mitochondria have also been linked to other modes of regulated cell death, such as necroptosis, ferroptosis and pyroptosis. This project will examine how the mitochondrial i-AAA protease YME1L regulates cell survival, mtDNA release and inflammatory responses on a molecular level and how this relates to neurodegeneration and tissue-specific cell death in vivo. These studies will help define the role of mitochondria at the interface between cell death and inflammation.
Recent Publications
2025
Kaul H, Isermann L, Senft K, Popovic M, Georgomanolis T, Baumann L, Sivanesan P, Pouikli A, Nolte H, Lucic B, Hildebrandt X, Seidel K, Gnad T, Gaedke F, Göbel U, Peters F, Cherevatenko M, Park JH, Schauss A, Peltzer N, Brüning JC, Kornfeld JW, Pfeifer A, Langer T, Lusic M, Wickström SA, Frezza C, Trifunovic A. 2-hydroxyglutarate mediates whitening of brown adipocytes coupled to nuclear softening upon mitochondrial dysfunction. Nat Metab. 2025 Aug;7(8):1593-1613. doi: 10.1038/s42255-025-01332-8. Epub 2025 Aug 1. PMID: 40750944; PMCID: PMC12373511.
