The fact that CFS gene transcription can be induced independently by depletion of FANCD2 or SPG7 suggests that they participate in processes, such as mitochondrial gene expression, protein synthesis and mitophagy33,34, and mitochondrial protein processing58, that functionally cooperate in mitochondrial biogenesis and protein quality control59. Here, FANCD2 is linked to myalgic encephalomeyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.