Mitophagy.
Mitophagy is the selective removal of damaged or aged mitochondria from the cell via autophagosomal engulfment and lysosomal degradation.
In neurons, it is important that dysfunctional mitochondria are promptly removed from the cell. Mitophagy acts as a quality control mechanism to turn over these damaged organelles, promoting neuronal health. Multiple forms of mitophagy exist, but how they collaborate to maintain a healthy mitochondrial network in neurons is unclear. Currently, PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy is the best described pathway and mutations in pathway components are linked to Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Illustration by Janet Iwasa, PhD and Ann (Hui) Liu, PhD, MS, The Animation Lab, University of Utah