Recombinant P. humanus subsp. corporis PINK1

Background: PINK1 from Pediculus humanus subsp. corporis (body louse) is widely used as a recombinant kinase for studying mitochondrial quality control and mitophagy due to its robust catalytic activity and ability to efficiently phosphorylate ubiquitin and Parkin in vitro. Unlike human PINK1, which is difficult to express and purify in an active form, the body louse ortholog is highly soluble and retains the conserved kinase activity required for phosphorylation of ubiquitin at Ser65 and activation of the PINK1–Parkin signaling pathway. This recombinant protein is well suited for generating phosphorylated ubiquitin substrates, investigating PINK1-dependent signaling mechanisms, and supporting biochemical and structural studies of Parkinson’s disease-associated pathways. Active PINK1 is also a valuable reagent for kinase assays, inhibitor characterization, and targeted protein degradation (TPD) research involving mitophagy and ubiquitin signaling.