Topic: Rab5

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles which undergo fusion and fission processes responsible for mitochondrial network rearrangements. When mitochondria are damaged, they are selectively degraded via mitophagy. Collectively, these processes are referred to as “mitochondrial dynamics”, and are dysregulated in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Mutations in mitophagy-related PRKN gene, which encodes the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin, have been linked to autosomal recessive juvenile PD. Recently, Rab proteins, molecular players of the endo-lysosomal pathway, have been linked to mitophagy, and mutations in RAB3

The strength of excitatory synapses is regulated through structural and functional changes, but how they are coordinated at the molecular level is incompletely understood. Ras and Rab interactor protein 1 (RIN1) is a Ras effector protein, that is highly expressed in forebrain excitatory neurons, and loss of RIN1 has been shown to affect synaptic plasticity and learning. Our previous work demonstrated that RIN1 destabilizes synapses and supports postsynaptic AMPA receptor endocytosis during chemical long-term depression. As RIN1 plays a role in enhancing signaling of the tyrosine kinases Abl an