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Updated: Oct 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Decoding Mitochondrial Aging
Published on: June 30, 2023
Role of Mitochondrial Protein Import in Age-Related Neurodegenerative and Cardiovascular Diseases
Andrey Bogorodskiy1, Ivan Okhrimenko1, Dmitrii Burkatovskii1
1Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia.
Abstract:
Mitochondria play a critical role in providing energy, maintaining cellular metabolism, and regulating cell survival and death. To carry out these crucial functions, mitochondria employ more than 1500 proteins, distributed between two membranes and two aqueous compartments. An extensive network of dedicated proteins is engaged in importing and sorting these nuclear-encoded proteins into their designated mitochondrial compartments. Defects in this fundamental system are related to a variety of pathologies, particularly engaging the most energy-demanding tissues. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art knowledge about the mitochondrial protein import machinery and describe the known interrelation of its failure with age-related neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.
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