The GSNOR1-VDAC3 complex acts as a cargo co-receptor for mitophagy in response to mitochondrial stress in plants

GSNOR1 forms a complex with VDAC3 to act as a cargo receptor for mitophagy in Arabidopsis thaliana, targeting depolarized mitochondria for ATG8-dependent engulfment.

• Why it matters: Plant mitophagy regulation is not well understood, especially how damaged mitochondria are recognized and routed into the autophagy machinery under mitochondrial stress.
• What they did: The study shows GSNOR1 translocates to depolarized mitochondria, binds VDAC3, and uses ATG8-interacting motifs to engage ATG8 for autophagosome formation and mitochondrial degradation.
• The result: Loss-of-function mutations in GSNOR1 or VDAC3 lead to misshapen mitochondria accumulation and hypersensitivity to mitochondrial stress, supporting this cargo-receptor model for maintaining homeostasis.

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