FIG. 4.

Potential consequences of reduction in the content of PINK1/Parkin accumulation. Reduction in PINK1/Parkin results in decreased product for mitophagy (dashed arrow) and accumulation of mitofusin on damaged mitochondria. The accumulation of mitofusin on damaged mitochondria allows them to reengage in fusion events despite their deprived energetic state, leading to incorporation of potentially toxic material into the mitochondrial pool. Protein composition at selected steps along the path is illustrated beneath in corresponding numbers 1–4. (To see this illustration in color the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertonline.com/ars).