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Christof Osman - Group Leader Osman Lab - Photo credit Carolin Bleese

Prof. Dr. Christof Osman

Principal Investigator

osman@bio.lmu.de
Room B02.058
Office +49 89 2180 74756

Research Focus

Christof’s fascination with mitochondrial biology began during his doctoral studies, where he investigated the fundamental mechanisms of lipid trafficking—specifically how mitochondria obtain and maintain their essential phospholipids in the lab of Prof. Thomas Langer in Cologne.

 

During his postdoctoral research in the lab of Prof. Peter Walter in San Francisco, Christof transitioned from studying the mitochondrial membrane to exploring the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA). He became captivated by the unique challenges of maintaining a semi-autonomous genetic system. Christof continued this research in his own lab at the LMU in Munich, where he started in 2017.

 

Academic Timeline

Professional Experience

Professor for Mitochondrial Biology

Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München

2017 — Present
Postdoc in the lab of Peter Walter

University of California, San Francisco

2010 — 2017
Postdoc in the lab of Thomas Langer

University of Cologne

2008 — 2010

Education

Doctoral Student in the lab of Thomas Langer

University of Cologne

2005 — 2008
Diploma Studies

University of Cologne

2002 — 2005
Undergraduate Studies

University of Bonn

1999 — 2002

Awards & Honors

HFSP Research Grant

Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München

2023 — 2026
ERC Starting Grant

Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München

2017 — 2022

Research Contributions

27 Papers

Publications from the Osman Lab

PLoS Genet.

Local mitochondrial physiology defined by mtDNA quality guides purifying selection

Thoma, F., Hagen, J., Rathberger, R., Padovani, F., Hörl, D., Schmoller, K., Osman, C.#

PLOS Genetics | 2026

Nucleic Acids Res.

Mrx6 binds the Lon protease Pim1 N-terminal domain to confer selective substrate specificity and regulate mtDNA copy number

Schrott, S., Marafelli, I., Gerle, C., Bibinger, S., Bertgen, L., Marino, G., Schwenkert, S., Rathberger, R., Herrmann, J., Osman, C.#

Nucleic Acids Research | 2026

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

mtHsp70 chaperone converts mitochondrial proteostasis stress into impaired protein import

Banerjee, R., Trauschke, V., Bertram, N., Aretz, I., Osman, C., Lamb, D.#, Mokranjac, D.#

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | 2026

bioRxiv Preprint

The mitochondrial cohibitin complex facilitates the biogenesis of inner membrane proteins

Kizmaz, B., Nutz, A., Hess, S., Hagen, J., Guerrero-Castillo, S., Cabrera-Orefice, A., Yoo, C., Osman, C., Räschle, M., Rhee, H., Herrmann, J.#

bioRxiv | 2026

Mol. Cell

Delayed protein translocation protects mitochondria against toxic CAT-tailed proteins

Bertram, N., Izawa, T., Thoma, F., Schwenkert, S., Duvezin-Caubet, S., Park, S., Wagener, N., Devin, A., Osman, C., Neupert, W., Mokranjac, D.#

Molecular Cell | 2025

EMBO J.

Real-time assessment of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy dynamics at the single-cell level

Roussou, R., Metzler, D., Padovani, F., Thoma, F., Schwarz, R., Shraiman, B., Schmoller, K., Osman, C.#

The EMBO Journal | 2024

Science

Adaptive introgression of a visual preference gene

Rossi, M., Hausmann, A., Alcami, P., Moest, M., Roussou, R., Van Belleghem, S., Wright, D., Kuo, C., Lozano-Urrego, D., Maulana, A., Melo-Flórez, L., Rueda-Muñoz, G., McMahon, S., Linares, M., Osman, C., McMillan, W., Pardo-Diaz, C., Salazar, C., Merrill, R.#

Science | 2024

Nucleic Acids Res.

Two mitochondrial HMG-box proteins, Cim1 and Abf2, antagonistically regulate mtDNA copy number in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Schrott, S., Osman, C.#

Nucleic Acids Research | 2023

Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol.

Regulation with cell size ensures mitochondrial DNA homeostasis during cell growth

Seel, A., Padovani, F., Mayer, M., Finster, A., Bureik, D., Thoma, F., Osman, C., Klecker, T., Schmoller, K.#

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology | 2023

Biol. Chem.

Yme2, a putative RNA recognition motif and AAA+ domain containing protein, genetically interacts with the mitochondrial protein export machinery

Sharma, N., Osman, C.#

Biological Chemistry | 2022

Nat. Methods

An improved imaging system that corrects MS2-induced RNA destabilization

Li, W., Maekiniemi, A., Sato, H., Osman, C., Singer, R.#

Nature Methods | 2022

Bioinformatics

YeastMate: neural network-assisted segmentation of mating and budding events in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Bunk, R., Moriasy, J., Thoma, F., Jakubke, C., Osman, C., Hörl, D.#

Bioinformatics | 2022

Sci. Adv.

Cristae-dependent quality control of the mitochondrial genome

Jakubke, C.*, Roussou, R.*, Maiser, A., Schug, C., Thoma, F., Bunk, R., Hörl, D., Leonhardt, H., Walter, P., Klecker, T., Osman, C.#

Science Advances | 2021

Cell Rep.

Reduced peroxisomal import triggers peroxisomal retrograde signaling

Rackles, E., Witting, M., Forné, I., Zhang, X., Zacherl, J., Schrott, S., Fischer, C., Ewbank, J., Osman, C., Imhof, A., Rolland, S.#

Cell Reports | 2021

Mol. Biol. Cell

Mrx6 regulates mitochondrial DNA copy number in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by engaging the evolutionarily conserved Lon protease Pim1

Göke, A., Schrott, S., Mizrak, A., Belyy, V., Osman, C.#, Walter, P.#

Molecular Biology of the Cell | 2020

Biol. Chem. Review

Power to the daughters - mitochondrial and mtDNA transmission during cell division

Aretz, I., Jakubke, C., Osman, C.#

Biological Chemistry | 2020

J. Cell Biol.

MICOS and phospholipid transfer by Ups2-Mdm35 organize membrane lipid synthesis in mitochondria

Aaltonen, M., Friedman, J., Osman, C., Salin, B., di Rago, J., Nunnari, J., Langer, T., Tatsuta, T.

Journal of Cell Biology | 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Integrity of the yeast mitochondrial genome, but not its distribution and inheritance, relies on mitochondrial fission and fusion

Osman, C., Noriega, T., Okreglak, V., Walter, P.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | 2015

Elife

Specificity in endoplasmic reticulum-stress signaling in yeast entails a step-wise engagement of HAC1 mRNA to clusters of the stress sensor Ire1

van Anken, E., Pincus, D., Coyle, S., Aragón, T., Osman, C., Lari, F., Gómez Puerta, S., Korennykh, A., Walter, P.

Elife | 2014

Elife

ER-associated mitochondrial division links the distribution of mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA in yeast

Murley, A., Lackner, L., Osman, C., West, M., Voeltz, G., Walter, P., Nunnari, J.

Elife | 2013

J. Cell Biol. Review

Making heads or tails of phospholipids in mitochondria

Osman, C., Voelker, D., Langer, T.

Journal of Cell Biology | 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

The conserved GTPase Gem1 regulates endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria connections

Kornmann, B., Osman, C., Walter, P.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | 2011

EMBO J.

A mitochondrial phosphatase required for cardiolipin biosynthesis: the PGP phosphatase Gep4

Osman, C., Haag, M., Wieland, F., Brügger, B., Langer, T.

The EMBO Journal | 2010

EMBO J.

Regulation of mitochondrial phospholipids by Ups1/PRELI-like proteins depends on proteolysis and Mdm35

Potting, C., Wilmes, C., Engmann, T., Osman, C., Langer, T.

The EMBO Journal | 2010

J. Cell Biol.

The genetic interactome of prohibitins: coordinated control of cardiolipin and phosphatidylethanolamine by conserved regulators in mitochondria

Osman, C., Haag, M., Potting, C., Rodenfels, J., Dip, P., Wieland, F., Brügger, B., Westermann, B., Langer, T.

Journal of Cell Biology | 2009

J. Cell Sci. Review

Prohibitins and the functional compartmentalization of mitochondrial membranes

Osman, C., Merkwirth, C., Langer, T.

Journal of Cell Science | 2009

Mol. Biol. Cell

Prohibitins interact genetically with Atp23, a novel processing peptidase and chaperone for the F1FO-ATP synthase

Osman, C., Wilmes, C., Tatsuta, T., Langer, T.

Molecular Biology of the Cell | 2007