PINK₁ and Parkin to control mitochondria remodeling

Parkinson’s disease (PD), one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, is characterized by movement disorders and a loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons. PD mainly occurs sporadically, but may also result from genetic mutations in several PD-linked genes. Recently, genetic studies with Drosophila mutants, parkin and PINK₁, two common PD-associated genes, demonstrated that Parkin acts downstream of PINK₁ in maintaining mitochondrial function and integrity. Further studies revealed that PINK1 translocates Parkin to mitochondria and regulates critical mitochondrial remodeling processes. These findings, which suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction is a prominent cause of PD pathogenesis, provide valuable insights which may aid in the development of effective treatments for PD.