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Metabolism

LONP1 loss causes mitochondrial mayhem in β-cells

Nature Metabolism volume 7, pages 1501–1502 (2025)Cite this article

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In this issue of Nature Metabolism, Li et al. reveal that disruptions in mitochondrial protein folding are an early trigger of β-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes and highlight that LONP1 has a key role in the maintenance of mitochondrial proteostasis. Boosting mitochondrial protein folding capacity may offer a promising strategy to protect β-cells and prevent or delay diabetes.

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Fig. 1: Loss of LONP1 impairs mitochondrial proteostasis in islet β-cells.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NIH grants K08HD109636 (K.L.K), R01 DK093954 and DK127308 (C.E.M) and U01DK127786 and UC4DK104166 (C.E.M), VA Merit Award I01BX001733 (C.E.M), 2-SRA-2019-834-S-B, JDRF 2-SRA-2018-493-A-B, 3-IND-2022-1235-I-X (C.E.M), and gifts from the Sigma Beta Sorority, the Ball Brothers Foundation, the George and Frances Ball Foundation (C.E.M), March of Dimes Basil O’Connor Award (K.L.K). The authors thank E. Anderson-Baucum (Indiana University School of Medicine) for her edits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Kok Lim Kua & Carmella Evans-Molina

  2. Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Kok Lim Kua & Carmella Evans-Molina

  3. Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Kok Lim Kua & Carmella Evans-Molina

  4. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Carmella Evans-Molina

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  1. Kok Lim Kua
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  2. Carmella Evans-Molina
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Correspondence to Carmella Evans-Molina.

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Kua, K.L., Evans-Molina, C. LONP1 loss causes mitochondrial mayhem in β-cells. Nat Metab 7, 1501–1502 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01328-4

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