How autophagy adaptors mediate Parkin-dependent mitophagy
Autophagy adaptors are recruited to damaged mitochondria to promote their selective degradation during PINK1- and Parkin-mediated mitophagy but how these adaptors facilitate mitophagy is not clearly understood,
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This study shows that the mitophagy adaptors OPTN and NDP52 phase-separate to facilitate mitochondrial recognition and mitophagy. OPTN and NDP52 form sheet-like condensates on ubiquitinated mitochondria during Parkin-mediated mitophagy. The authors report that the liquid-like property of these adaptor condensates is important for mitophagy.
Capillary forces of these condensates between mitochondria and autophagic membranes (i.e., ATG9 vesicles and isolation membranes) are likely to promote the attachment of these membranes.
https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1038/s44318-024-00272-5
