Mitochondria and the Actin Cytoskeleton in Neurodegeneration

Mitochondrial dysfunction and cytoskeletal disorganization are widely recognized hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although these disorders differ in clinical presentation and etiology, accumulating evidence points to a shared cellular vulnerability at the intersection of mitochondrial dynamics and actin cytoskeletal regulation. In this review, we examine the emerging role of actin-mitochondria crosstalk as a convergent mechanism in neurodegeneration. We discuss how disruptions in actin filament remodeling, mitochondrial fission and fusion, organelle transport, and mitophagy contribute to neuronal dysfunction and loss across these diseases. Particular attention is given to disease-specific pathways, including cofilin-actin rod formation in AD, α-synuclein-driven actin disruption in PD, mutant huntingtin's effects on mitochondrial fragmentation in HD, and profilin-1-associated mitochondrial defects in ALS. By synthesizing findings from diverse models, we highlight how perturbations in the cytoskeleton-mitochondria interface may act as an upstream trigger and amplifier of neurodegenerative cascades. We also outline key knowledge gaps and propose future directions for research, with an emphasis on targeting actin-mitochondrial interactions as a potential therapeutic strategy across multiple neurodegenerative conditions.