Atg43 tethers isolation membranes to mitochondria to promote starvation-induced mitophagy in fission yeast.

Degradation of mitochondria through mitophagy contributes to the maintenance of mitochondrial function. In this study, we identified that Atg43, a mitochondrial outer membrane protein, serves as a mitophagy receptor in the model organism to promote the selective degradation of mitochondria. Atg43 contains an Atg8-family-interacting motif essential for mitophagy.