PINK1 was first discovered over twenty years ago and has been linked to early-onset Parkinson’s disease. But what the protein looked like and how it becomes activated remained a mystery.

PINK1 recruits Parkin, another protein involved in Parkinson’s, to damaged mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, and activates its function in tagging damaged mitochondria for degradation.

When this process doesn’t work, or is switched off, the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria can contribute to the death of brain cells and the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

“Now we can finally see PINK1 and understand how it binds to mitochondria, we can find new ways to switch it on, which will be life-changing for people with Parkinson’s” said Professor David Komander, Head of WEHI’s Ubiquitin Signalling Division.

WEHI began research into Parkinson’s in 2019, and the work that led to this discovery started soon after.

Dr Sylvie Callegari, a senior researcher in the Komander lab, said that the discovery was an incredible team effort from many members, in particular Dr Zhong Yan Gan, who made significant early contributions to the research and has since moved to Cambridge’s MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.

“Being a finalist in the Eureka Prize is an amazing opportunity to showcase our work and what it means for Parkinson’s disease. These discoveries are rarely solo efforts and it’s great to be able to share in this recognition with the entire team,” said Dr Callegari.

The Eureka Prize winners will be announced at a ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday 3 September.

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Header image: L to R: Dr Alisa Glukhova, Dr Nicholas Kirk, Dr Sylvie Callegari, Professor David Komander