BNIP3 and ischemic stroke: Congruently, BNIP3-mediated mitophagy has been reported to promote neuronal cell death both in vivo and in vitro after ischaemic stroke, while excessive Rhes- and NIX-mediated mitophagy has been shown to cause degeneration of striatum neurons in the brain of 3-NP-treated mice, emulating lesions related to HD (Refs 73, 151, 194).