DNM1L and Stroke: Notably, Drp1 may also have mitochondria-independent functions in synaptic vesicle release.8 Addressing these issues could help elucidate the physiological functions of mitochondrial dynamics in the nervous system and reveal how shifts in the fission–fusion balance contribute to selective neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease (AD),1, 4 and in other neurologic disorders, including stroke and epilepsy.9, 10, 11