As scientists work toward finding a cure for Parkinson's disease, one line of research that has emerged focuses on mitochondria, the structures within cells that make energy. The health of those structures is maintained through a quality control system that balances two opposite processes: fission—one mitochondrion splitting in two—and fusion—two becoming one.

When there's a problem with fission, that system is thrown out of balance. The consequences can include neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, and other serious conditions.

For years, scientists have known that one particular protein, called Drp1, is a master regulator of mitochondrial fission, but little else about how Drp1 is controlled by other proteins. Essential processes in biology are governed by complex biochemical chain reactions among such proteins. Scientists call these chain reactions signaling pathways.

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