The many faces of mitophagy
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026

Visualizing Mitophagy with Fluorescent Dyes for Mitochondria and Lysosome
Published on: November 30, 2022
Rachael M Ivatt1, Alexander J Whitworth
1Department of Biomedical Science MRC Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Abstract:
Failure to maintain mitochondrial integrity is linked to age‐related conditions, such as neurodegeneration. Two genes linked to Parkinson's disease, PINK1 and Parkin, play a key role in targeting the degradation of dysfunctional mitochondria (mitophagy). However, the mechanisms regulating the PINK1/Parkin pathway and other processes that impinge on mitochondrial turnover are poorly understood. Two articles in EMBO reports, by the Przedborski and Ganley groups, shed light on a new role for processed, cytoplasmic PINK1, and show that depletion of cellular iron levels stimulates PINK1/Parkin‐independent mitophagy.
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