How cells decide which mitochondria to keep - and which to discard.
PLA MARTÍN LAB - INSTITUTE OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY I
UNIVERSITÄTSKLINIKUM DÜSSELDORF - HEINRICH HEINE UNIVERSITÄT
Mitochondria are multifaceted organelles involved in many critical functions essential for cellular homeostasis. They form a highly dynamic network that is constantly remodeled, adapting its function in real time to cellular needs. Uniquely among organelles, mitochondria contain their own genome, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which encodes 13 protein-coding genes of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) machinery. Preserving both the structural and genetic integrity of mitochondria is therefore essential for sustained mitochondrial and cellular function.
Research
Our research focus
Our group aims to understand how mitochondrial (dys)function drives disease. We focus on how cells maintain, recognise and eliminate damaged mitochondrial DNA, and how failures in these processes contribute to neurodegeneration, ageing and cancer. Our work follows four main research lines.
Selective mtDNA degradation
How cells recognize, traffic and eliminate damaged mitochondrial DNA, and how mitochondria, endosomes and lysosomes work together to keep mtDNA intact.
Mitochondrial Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
How changes in mitochondrial and lysosomal proteins drive peripheral nerve degeneration, with a focus on CMT caused by mutations in GDAP1 and SBF1.
mtDNA instability and cellular integrity
How defects in mtDNA replication and maintenance affect cell homeostasis, stress responses and tissue function, in metabolism, ageing and neurodegeneration.
Mitochondria in lymphoma
How lymphoma cells remodel their mitochondrial metabolism to grow, survive and adapt to stress, and where this opens new therapeutic vulnerabilities.
I am Professor of Mitochondrial Biology and Metabolism at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. After my PhD in Valencia and postdoctoral years in Cologne, I took up my chair in 2023. What drives our work is a simple question: how does a cell decide what to keep and what to discard?
Recent work
Sen A, Baris O R, … Pla-Martín D · Cell Reports · 2026
Retromer promotes the lysosomal turnover of mtDNA
Kakanj P, Bones M, … Pla-Martín D · Science Advances · 2025
Mitochondrial membrane proteins and VPS35 orchestrate selective removal of mtDNA
Sen A, Kallabis S, … Pla-Martín D · Nature Communications · 2022