Figure 2.

Short‐term and long‐term effects of impaired mitophagy. An ATP deficit impairs mitophagy by activating IIS. This mitophagy impairment prevents premature autophagic destruction of partially functional mitochondria. This impairment increases ATP production and thus facilitates growth in the short term. However, by allowing persistence of damaged mitochondria, this impairment leads to the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria and decreased ATP production in the long term. By combining short‐term benefit and long‐term detriment, I suggest that impaired mitophagy underlies antagonistic pleiotropy.