How Mitochondrial Dynamism Orchestrates Mitophagy

Abstract

Mitochondria are highly dynamic, except in adult cardiomyocytes. Yet, the fission and fusion-promoting proteins that mediate mitochondrial dynamism are highly expressed in, and essential to the normal functioning of, hearts. Here, we review accumulating evidence supporting important roles for mitochondrial fission and fusion in cardiac mitochondrial quality control, focusing on the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1–Parkin mitophagy pathway. Based in part on recent findings from in vivo mouse models in which mitofusin-mediated mitochondrial fusion or dynamin-related protein 1–mediated mitochondrial fission was conditionally interrupted in cardiac myocytes, we propose several new concepts that may provide insight into the cardiac mitochondrial dynamism–mitophagy interactome.