BNIP3 and Stroke: BNIP3/NIX is associated with hypoxia-induced mitophagy, and the levels of BNIP3 and NIX are upregulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α) transcription (Bruick, 2000; Sowter et al., 2001), suggesting that this pathway may be involved in the brain damage that occurs as a result of the hypoxic ischemia that manifests after stroke.