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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Monitoring Stub1-Mediated Pexophagy

Monitoring Stub1-Mediated Pexophagy

Published on: May 12, 2023

BNIP3L/NIX regulates both mitophagy and pexophagy.

Léa P Wilhelm¹, Juan Zapata-Muñoz², Beatriz Villarejo-Zori²

¹MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.

The EMBO Journal

|October 10, 2022

Summary

The protein BNIP3L/NIX coordinates the breakdown of both mitochondria (mitophagy) and peroxisomes (pexophagy) via selective autophagy. This dual role highlights the interconnectedness of these essential cellular recycling pathways.

Keywords:

autophagy mitochondria mitophagy peroxisomes pexophagy

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Visualizing Mitophagy with Fluorescent Dyes for Mitochondria and Lysosome

Visualizing Mitophagy with Fluorescent Dyes for Mitochondria and Lysosome

Published on: November 30, 2022

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Autophagy Research

Background:

Mitochondria and peroxisomes are metabolically related organelles with crucial cellular functions.
Both organelles can be degraded via selective autophagy, known as mitophagy and pexophagy, respectively.
The coordination and conditions triggering simultaneous mitophagy and pexophagy remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if mitophagy and pexophagy are activated under similar conditions.
To elucidate the molecular mechanisms coordinating these selective autophagy pathways.
To determine the role of BNIP3L/NIX in pexophagy.

Main Methods:

Utilized iron chelation to induce selective autophagy.
Investigated the role of BNIP3L/NIX in mitophagy and pexophagy.
Examined mouse tissue lacking NIX for peroxisomal content.
Observed mitophagy and pexophagy during cardiomyocyte and erythrocyte differentiation.

Main Results:

Multiple selective autophagy pathways, including mitophagy and pexophagy, are activated by iron chelation.
BNIP3L/NIX, a known mitophagy receptor, was found to localize to peroxisomes and drive pexophagy.
Mice lacking NIX exhibited increased peroxisomal content, confirming NIX's role in pexophagy in vivo.
Pexophagy is upregulated under the same physiological conditions that induce mitophagy.

Conclusions:

BNIP3L/NIX plays a dual role, mediating both mitophagy and pexophagy.
This discovery reveals a molecular link between mitochondrial and peroxisomal turnover.
The findings illustrate the interconnectedness of selective autophagy pathways in cellular homeostasis.