In biology, there is a core concept that “structure determines function.” All proteins in the body have a particular structure, and those specific structures allow the molecules to perform a particular function. Mitochondrial health is regulated by ubiquitin ligases and its quality control mechanism for initiating the degradation of damaged mitochondria If you have mutations or uncommon variants of ubiquitin ligase, the efficacy/function of degrading damaged mitochondria may be decreased due to structural changes. This decrease in activity has been associated with diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and many more. This process is tightly controlled by E3 ligases and deubiquitinases of the ubiquitin proteasome system. Compounds that induce mitophagy can improve mitochondrial health and promote healthy aging.