The Multiple Roles and Targeting Strategies of LonP1 in the Occurrence and Development of Cancer

LonP1, a mitochondrial AAA+ protease, serves as a pivotal integrator of mitochondrial quality control (MQC) and metabolic reprogramming in cancer progression. Alternative splicing generates three functionally distinct isoforms: full-length ISO1 maintains mitochondrial homeostasis by degrading oxidized proteins and stabilizing mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) for mtDNA integrity; truncated ISO2 (Δ42-105 AA) drives glycolytic reprogramming and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by upregulating Snail/vimentin; and cytoplasmic ISO3 (Δ1-196 AA) lacks protease activity and is tumor-irrelevant. Tumor microenvironment (TME) cues (hypoxia, H. pylori infection, PFOA exposure, glutamine depletion) regulate LonP1 via Akt phosphorylation/Sirt3 deacetylation, coordinating MQC and metabolic adaptation to support cancer cell survival and metastasis. Functional data confirm its pro-tumor role: LonP1 upregulation enhances cervical cancer mitophagy and gastric cancer glycolysis, while knockdown induces mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. This review summarizes current advances by (1) systematically integrating the isoform-specific functions of LonP1; (2) constructing a "LonP1-MQC-metabolism" regulatory network based on published evidence; and (3) proposing isoform-specific targeted strategies for precision oncology. These insights position LonP1 as a promising candidate for precision oncology, offering a cohesive understanding of mitochondrial regulation in cancer.