The selective elimination of mitochondria from yeast cells: regulation and molecular mechanism

Mitochondria carry out essential functions and are subject to a stringent integrated quality control regime, the failure of which contributes to catastrophic loss of mitochondrial function. Damaged or redundant mitochondria are targeted and delivered to a specialised degradative compartment, the vacuole (yeast) or lysosome (mammals), for destruction in a selective process called mitophagy. How this process works remains poorly understood. We will use innovative genetic screening strategies and biochemical approaches in yeast cells to identify and characterise molecular components of the mitophagy machinery, and reveal how mitochondria are selected and undergo mitophagy in coordination with other quality control processes in the cell.