Mitophagy and neurodegeneration: the zebrafish model system.

Autophagy is responsible for the degradation of cytoplasmic components and organelles such as mitochondria. The selective degradation of damaged mitochondria by autophagy is termed mitophagy, and is an important quality control mechanism. Neurons, being highly specialized cells, are particularly susceptible to defects of autophagy. Impairments in mitochondrial function and their dynamics are present in many neurodegenerative diseases, and modulators of both mitochondrial physiology and autophagy present themselves as promising therapeutic targets. Zebrafish are now established as a valuable tool for disease modeling. A wide variety of genetic and molecular techniques can be employed to highlight pathogenic processes and dissect disease pathways. This review will explore the role that zebrafish have so far played in our understanding of mitophagy in neurodegeneration, and will discuss how they might be used to drive the wider mitophagy field forward.