The major findings of the current study are as follows: (1) Over-expressing PINK1 in the HL-1 cardiac cell line delayed the time taken to induce MPTP opening and reduced cell death following SIRI; (2) Mice lacking PINK1 sustained larger myocardial infarcts compared to wild type littermates (PINK1+/+), suggesting that the absence of PINK1 in the heart makes it more vulnerable to IRI. Here, PINK1 is linked to myocardial infarction.