Fig. 2.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. The figure summarizes the main mitochondria-related mechanisms which have been proposed to he involved in the pathogenesis of PD. Respiratory chain activity (in particular complex I) is dysfunctional in the disease and mitochondrial inhibitors (MPTP and rotenone) cause clinical and neuropathological parkinsonian features. Intracellular alpha-synuclein accumulation is bi-directionally finked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Alterations of mitochondrial DNA, including depletion, deletions, point mutations and impaired maintenance, have been described. Mitophagy is also involved in the disease, as supported by rare familial PD cases due to mutations in Parkin and PINK1