The many faces of mitophagy

Failure to maintain mitochondrial integrity is linked to age-related conditions, such as neurodegeneration. Two genes linked to Parkinson's disease, PINK1 and Parkin, play a key role in targeting the degradation of dysfunctional mitochondria (mitophagy). However, the mechanisms regulating the PINK1/Parkin pathway and other processes that impinge on mitochondrial turnover are poorly understood. Two articles in EMBO reports, by the Przedborski and Ganley groups 1,2, shed light on a new role for processed, cytoplasmic PINK1, and show that depletion of cellular iron levels stimulates PINK1/Parkin-independent mitophagy.