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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Experimental & Molecular Medicine

Mitophagy in pathogenesis and therapeutic implications for infection

  • Bokeum Jung1
  • Bomi Lee2,3,4
  • Asmita Sapkota2,3
  • Taylor Roh2,3
  • Wonhyoung Seo5
  • Jin Kyung Kim6
  • Eun-Kyeong Jo2,3,7
7 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
  2. 2Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
  3. 3Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
  4. 4Brain Korea 21 FOUR Project for Medical Science, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
  5. 5Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
  6. 6Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
  7. 7Biomedical Research Institute, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Abstract

Mitophagy, a critical selective autophagy pathway targeting dysfunctional mitochondria, is involved in cellular homeostasis and quality control under various stressors. During infection, invading pathogens cause mitochondrial abnormalities that trigger mitophagy. Most bacteria and viruses can exploit mitophagy as a pro-pathogenic process to escape host antiviral responses during infection. Emerging evidence suggests that restoring mitophagy is beneficial for mitigating excessive inflammation, such as in sepsis, whereas mitophagy blockade can activate host defense during bacterial and viral infections. Here we review current knowledge on the role of mitophagy in bacterial and viral infections and sepsis, focusing on the mechanisms by which pathogens evade mitophagy or influence pathogenesis through mitophagy during different types of infection. We also highlight the potential beneficial effects of mitophagy modulators, reagents and small molecules against sepsis-induced pathologies and infections. Progress in these areas will expand our knowledge on alleviating pathology, promoting antimicrobial immune responses and maintaining cellular homeostasis, ultimately providing potential preventive and therapeutic strategies against pathogenic infections and inflammation associated with dysregulated mitophagy.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{jung2026mitophagy,
  title = {{Mitophagy in pathogenesis and therapeutic implications for infection}},
  author = {Bokeum Jung and Bomi Lee and Asmita Sapkota and Taylor Roh and Wonhyoung Seo and Jin Kyung Kim and Eun-Kyeong Jo},
  journal = {Experimental \& Molecular Medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1038/s12276-026-01852-7},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-026-01852-7},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mitophagy in pathogenesis and therapeutic implications for infection
AU  - Bokeum Jung
AU  - Bomi Lee
AU  - Asmita Sapkota
AU  - Taylor Roh
AU  - Wonhyoung Seo
AU  - Jin Kyung Kim
AU  - Eun-Kyeong Jo
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
JO  - Experimental & Molecular Medicine
DO  - 10.1038/s12276-026-01852-7
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-026-01852-7
AB  - Mitophagy, a critical selective autophagy pathway targeting dysfunctional mitochondria, is involved in cellular homeostasis and quality control under various stressors. During infection, invading pathogens cause mitochondrial abnormalities that trigger mitophagy. Most bacteria and viruses can exploit mitophagy as a pro-pathogenic process to escape host antiviral responses during infection. Emerging evidence suggests that restoring mitophagy is beneficial for mitigating excessive inflammation, such as in sepsis, whereas mitophagy blockade can activate host defense during bacterial and viral infections. Here we review current knowledge on the role of mitophagy in bacterial and viral infections and sepsis, focusing on the mechanisms by which pathogens evade mitophagy or influence pathogenesis through mitophagy during different types of infection. We also highlight the potential beneficial effects of mitophagy modulators, reagents and small molecules against sepsis-induced pathologies and infections. Progress in these areas will expand our knowledge on alleviating pathology, promoting antimicrobial immune responses and maintaining cellular homeostasis, ultimately providing potential preventive and therapeutic strategies against pathogenic infections and inflammation associated with dysregulated mitophagy.
SN  - 1226-3613
SN  - 2092-6413
ER  -