Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42236685›Full record

ArticleCell death & disease2026

USP16 regulates mitochondrial function by deubiquitinating TOM40, a core component of the translocase in the mitochondrial outer membrane.

Zhili Jia, Zhenhua Du, Yao Lin, Kunpeng Lin, Xiaokun Jian, Xudong Zhao, Shiyuan Zhang, Louise T Chow, Gengsheng Cao, Hengbin Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell death & disease, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Zhili Jia *School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
Zhenhua Du *School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
Yao LinSchool of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
Kunpeng LinSchool of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
Xiaokun JianSchool of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
Xudong ZhaoSchool of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-0888-879X
Shiyuan ZhangSchool of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
Louise T ChowDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Gengsheng CaoSchool of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China. gscao@henu.edu.cn.
Hengbin WangDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. hengbin.wang@vcuhealth.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2414-0609

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) and its antagonistic H2A deubiquitinase USP16 have been regarded as nuclear proteins acting on chromatin. However, our recent studies revealed that a fraction of PRC1 and USP16 also localizes to mitochondria, where PRC1 plays a critical role in maintaining mitochondrial function. The role of USP16 in this context, however, has not yet been investigated. This study shows that USP16 interacts with and stabilizes TOM40, the core subunit of the TOM complex. USP16 deubiquitinates K48-linked ubiquitin chains from lysine 175, 184, and 309 of TOM40. USP16 knockout disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis, resulting in impaired membrane potential, elevated reactive oxygen species, reduced ATP synthesis, and altered oxygen consumption rates. Expression of FLAG-tagged USP16 restores TOM40 protein levels and rescues mitochondrial function. TOM40 re-expression in USP16 KO cells partially restores mitochondrial function, confirming its essential role. In summary, this study reveals that USP16 regulates mitochondrial function through TOM40.

Indexed as

Membrane Transport ProteinsMitochondriaMitochondrial MembranesUbiquitin ThiolesteraseAdenosine TriphosphateAnimalsHeLa CellsHumansMembrane Potential, MitochondrialMitochondrial Precursor Protein Import Complex ProteinsReactive Oxygen SpeciesUbiquitinationAdenosine TriphosphateMembrane Transport ProteinsMitochondrial Precursor Protein Import Complex ProteinsReactive Oxygen SpeciesUbiquitin Thiolesterase

Identifiers

PMID42236685
PMCPMC13448693

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.