Overview of Mitochondrial E3 Ubiquitin Ligase MITOL/MARCH5 from Molecular Mechanisms to Diseases

The molecular pathology of diseases seen from the mitochondrial axis has become more complex with the progression of research. A variety of factors, including the failure of mitochondrial dynamics and quality control, have made it extremely difficult to narrow down drug discovery targets. We have identified MITOL (mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase: also known as MARCH5) localized on the mitochondrial outer membrane and previously reported that it is an important regulator of mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial quality control. In this review, we describe the pathological aspects of MITOL revealed through functional analysis and its potential as a drug discovery target.