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Review
. 2025 Mar;20(4):345-355.
doi: 10.1080/17460913.2025.2459530. Epub 2025 Jan 29.

Prohibitins in infection: potential therapeutic targets

Nuo Chen  1 , Xiaolan Liu  1 , Lulu Wang  1 , Hui Yu  2 , Fangqian Liu  1 , Mengran Yuan  1 , Qimeng Wang  1 , Tianyi Zhang  1 , Xiaoxiang Zhou  1 , Hua Wang  1 , Zengjun Ji  3 , Hongxing Shen  1
Affiliations
Review

Prohibitins in infection: potential therapeutic targets

Nuo Chen et al. Future Microbiol. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Prohibitins (PHBs) are members of a highly conserved family of proteins, including prohibitin1 and prohibitin2. These proteins are predominantly localized in mitochondria, the nucleus, and cell membranes, where they play critical roles in mitochondrial biogenesis, apoptosis, immune regulation, and other biological processes. Recent studies have demonstrated that both PHB1 and PHB2 can act as a complex or independently to participate in the pathogen infection process. This review focuses on the regulatory roles of PHB1 and PHB2 in viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections, providing a theoretical basis and innovative perspectives for a comprehensive understanding of the roles and mechanisms of PHB1 and PHB2 in the regulation of microbial infections. Due to exerting multiple functions, PHB proteins have been recognized as a potential target for therapeutic interventions, with the expectation that targeting PHB proteins will provide new strategies for the treatment of infection-related diseases.

Keywords: Prohibitins; host factor; infection; pathogenesis; therapeutic target.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

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