The developing retina undergoes mitochondrial remodeling via PINK1/PRKN-dependent mitophagy

Mitophagy, the selective degradation of mitochondria, is essential for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) differentiation and retinal homeostasis. However, the specific mitophagy pathways involved and their temporal dynamics during retinal development and maturation remain poorly understood. Using proteomics analysis of isolated mouse retinas across developmental stages and the mitophagy reporter mouse line, mito -QC, we characterized mitophagy throughout retinogenesis. While mitolysosomes were more prevalent in the mature retina, we observed two distinct mitophagy peaks during embryonic development. The first, independent of PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) activation, was associated with RGCs. The second, PINK1-dependent peak was triggered after an increase in retinal oxidative stress. This PINK1-dependent, oxidative stress-induced mitophagy pathway is conserved in mice and zebrafish, providing the first evidence of programmed, PINK1-dependent mitophagy during development.