Fig. 2

P53 and the dual role of mitophagy. P53 has overlapping alterations with Bcl-2 family protein. P53-involved intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, target Bcl-2 proteins and genes such as Bax, and subsequently induce mitochondrial membrane disruption and cytochrome c release. In autophagy regulation, nuclear P53 would induce autophagy by taking transcriptional effects, like transactivating BH3-only proteins in response to stress; however cytoplasmic P53 might conduct as a major repressor of autophagy by re-localizing to mitochondria, and binding to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members (or activating the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins). Thus, P53 may act to balance autophagy (mitophagy) and apoptosis in regulating cell survival and death in response to stress like stroke injury