Prohibitins: emerging host targets of bacteria and viruses at the plasma membrane, mitochondria, and cytoplasm

Authors:

Grecia O. Rivera-Palomino1,2 and Arianne L. Theiss1,2,3

doi: 10.15698/mic2026.06.878
Volume 13, pp. 218 to 236, published 03/06/2026.

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Affiliations:

1 Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA. 2 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA. 3 Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.

Keywords: 

infection, pathogen, host microbe interaction, mitochondrial dysfunction, infectious disease

Corresponding Author(s):

Arianne L. Theiss, arianne.theiss@cuanschutz.edu

Conflict of interest statement:

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Please cite this article as:

Grecia O. Rivera-Palomino, Arianne Theiss (2026). Prohibitins: emerging host targets of bacteria and viruses at the plasma membrane, mitochondria, and cytoplasm. Microbial Cell 13: 218-236. doi: 10.15698/mic2026.06.878

© 2026 Rivera-Palomino and Theiss. This is an open-access article released under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are acknowledged.

Abstract:

Ubiquitously expressed Prohibitin-1 (PHB1) and Prohibitin-2 (PHB2) serve pleiotropic functions in cellular processes, including signal transduction, mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics, and lipid raft formation. Located in phospholipid-rich subcellular sites such as the plasma membrane and mitochondrial inner membrane, PHB1 and PHB2 are emerging as important host targets for bacteria and viruses, influencing infection and host responses by these microbes. Here, we present the current understanding of PHB1 and PHB2 in bacterial and viral infection based on the cellular localization of PHBs at the plasma membrane, mitochondria, and cytoplasm. We also discuss the potential of targeting PHBs as therapeutics for bacterial and viral infections.