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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Author Spotlight: Fluorescence-Based Quantification of Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Superoxide Levels Using Live Imaging in HeLa Cells
Published on: May 12, 2023
Molecular mechanisms of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitochondrial quality control
Andrew N Bayne1, Jean-François Trempe2
1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Abstract:
PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and other related mitochondrial quality control pathways are critical to maintaining cellular homeostasis and neuronal health, and indeed, mutations in PINK1 and PRKN that disrupt this pathway cause early-onset Parkinson's disease. While PINK1-dependent Parkin recruitment to damaged mitochondria has been established for over a decade, recent structural and biochemical advances have illuminated the mechanisms governing their allosteric activation and integration into broader cellular signaling networks. This review synthesizes these insights, focusing on the molecular determinants of PINK1/Parkin activation and the regulatory crosstalk that integrates mitophagy with other cellular stress responses. These mechanistic advances position the PINK1/Parkin pathway as a promising, tractable therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease and related pathologies.
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