Three known genes contribute to inherited forms of Parkinson’s disease: parkin, pink1 and DJ-1, all of which affect mitochondrial functions. Here, Rachel Cox and Allan Spradling describe a novel gene in Drosophila, clueless (clu), that also affects mitochondrial function. As with the Drosophila homologue of parkin (Park), Clu affects mitochondrial clustering, and impairment of the Clu pathway disrupts mitochondrial function. Furthermore, clu and parkin interact genetically to influence the subcellular localization of mitochondria. Since clu is highly conserved among other organisms, its human homologue may contribute to mitochondrial damage in neurodegenerative disease.
