ABSTRACT
Mitochondria, known as the powerhouse of the cell, are the principal sites of adenosine triphosphate production in aerobic, nonphotosynthetic eukaryotic cells. Mitophagy is a process whereby mitochondria are selectively targeted to the lysosomes for degradation via autophagy. This phenomenon usually occurs in the presence of mitochondrial damage as a form of intracellular quality control mechanism to prevent the accumulation of unwanted materials that could compromise cellular functions. Given the high energy demands of neurons, it is intuitive to accept that impairments in mitochondrial quality control (QC) will contribute to neuronal dysfunction and, consequently, neurodegeneration. Mitochondrial structural alterations are a prominent feature in the brains of individuals afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, the presence of which would suggest a failure in their clearance. Given the exquisitely high energy demands of neurons, a reduction in the bioenergetic efficacy due to defective mitochondrial QC will have serious implications for the survival of neurons.
