Mitophagy and Parkinson's disease: The PINK1-parkin link

► Upon mitochondrial membrane depolarisation, full-length PINK1 accumulates at the outer mitochondrial membrane and NIX translocates to the mitochondria. ► NIX and full-length PINK1 recruit parkin to the mitochondria, which leads to parkin-dependent ubiquitination of VDAC. ► Ubiquitination of VDAC recruits p62 while NIX recruits GABARAP to the mitochondria. ► NIX binds to LC3, which additionally binds p62. ► The combined effects of PINK1, parkin, NIX, VDAC, GABARAP, p62 and LC3 cause depolarised mitochondria to be removed via mitochondrial autophagy - mitophagy.