Table 1.

Identified mitophagy receptors in mammalian cells.

Receptor	Type	Interactor	Activated Conditions	Functions in Mitophagy	Refs
SQSTM1/p62	SAR	Ubiquitin	Mitochondrial depolarization	Recruited by Parkin-mediated ubiquitination, favoring mitochondrial cluster and recognition by the autophagy machinery and subsequent elimination	[42,43,44,68,91]
NDP52/OPTN	SAR	Ubiquitin	Mitochondrial depolarization	Recruited by PINK1 to mitochondria to activate mitophagy directly, independently of parkin	[68,92,93]
BNIP3	MAR	OMM	Hypoxia	Dual functions in regulating both cell death and mitophagy; Enhanced binding to LC3 when LIR motif is phosphorylated on Ser17 and Ser24	[51,52]
BNIP3L (NIX)	MAR	OMM	Hypoxia; erythrocyte maturation	Binds to LC3 mediating mitochondrial elimination during erythrocyte maturation; Ubiquitinated by Parkin to recruits other SARs (NBR1)	[45,53,54,55]
FUNDC1	MAR	OMM	Hypoxia	Recruits LC3 to initiate mitophagy; Binds to Drp1 to facilitate mitochondrial fission once activated	[57,84]
Bcl2-L-13	MAR	OMM	Mitochondrial depolarization	Stimulates mitochondria fragmentation and induces mitophagy through LC3 binding in HEK293 cells	[56,94]
FKBP8	MAR	OMM	Hypoxia	Recruits LC3A to mediate Parkin-independent mitophagy; Facilitates mitophagy by inducing mitochondrial fragmentation	[85,95]
NIPSNAP1/2	MAR	OMM	Mitochondrial depolarization	Mitochondrial matrix proteins, accumulating on the OMM following mitochondrial depolarization, recruiting autophagy receptors and adaptors	[96]
Ambra1	MAR	OMM	Mitochondrial toxins	Collaborates with E3 ligase HUWE1, binding to LC3 to induce mitochondrial clearance	[67,97]
PHB2	MAR	IMM	Mitochondrial depolarization	Activated upon proteasome-dependent OMM rupture	[46]
Cardiolipin	Lipid	OMM	Mitochondrial toxins	Externalizes to OMM and interacts with LC3 under mitochondrial stress in neuron cells	[61]
Ceramide	Lipid	OMM	Unknown	Binds LC3 to recruit autophagosomes to the mitochondria resulting in lethal mitophagy in cancer cells	[63]

Note: SARs, soluble autophagy receptors; MARs, membrane-anchored autophagy receptors; OMM, outer mitochondrial membrane; IMM, inner mitochondrial membrane.