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Cell biology

Balancing act

Nature volume 510, pages 347–348 (2014)Cite this article

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The enzyme parkin is known to promote disposal of organelles called mitochondria that have suffered damage. The identification of an enzyme that opposes parkin demonstrates how a delicate balance is maintained in the cell. See Article p.370

Cells have a love–hate relationship with mitochondria. As the power plants of cells, these organelles provide the energy required for life, but mitochondrial defects can lead to the production of reactive oxygen species that disrupt crucial cellular functions. Cells therefore use a specialized program, mitophagy, to eliminate damaged mitochondria and so maintain cellular health. Although a mitophagy signalling pathway comprised of two enzymes, PINK1 and parkin, has been identified, it is not clear what factors inhibit the pathway. In this issue, Bingol et al.1 (page 370) report that USP30, a deubiquitinating enzyme, puts the brakes on mitophagy.

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Figure 1: Maintaining balance in mitophagy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alban Ordureau and J. Wade Harper are in the Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,

    Alban Ordureau & J. Wade Harper

  2. J.W.H. is on sabbatical at Biogen-Idec, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,

    J. Wade Harper

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  1. Alban Ordureau
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  2. J. Wade Harper
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Ordureau, A., Harper, J. Balancing act. Nature 510, 347–348 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13500

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