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Updated: May 21, 2025

In Vitro and In Vivo Detection of Mitophagy in Human Cells, C. Elegans, and Mice
Published on: November 22, 2017
Advances in mitophagy initiation mechanisms
Catharina Küng1, Michael Lazarou2, Thanh Ngoc Nguyen2
1Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Abstract:
Mitophagy is an important lysosomal degradative pathway that removes damaged or unwanted mitochondria to maintain cellular and organismal homeostasis. The mechanisms behind how mitophagy is initiated to form autophagosomes around mitochondria have gained a lot of interest since they can be potentially targeted by mitophagy-inducing therapeutics. Mitophagy initiation can be driven by various autophagy receptors or adaptors that respond to different cellular and mitochondrial stimuli, ranging from mitochondrial damage to metabolic rewiring. This review will cover recent advances in our understanding of how mitophagy is initiated, and by doing so reveal the mechanistic plasticity of how autophagosome formation can begin.
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