Forms, Crosstalks, and the Role of Phospholipid Biosynthesis in Autophagy

Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process occurring during periods of stress to ensure a cell's survival by recycling cytosolic constituents and making products that can be used in energy generation and other essential processes. Three major forms of autophagy exist according to the spec...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Leanne Pereira, John Paul Girardi, Marica Bakovic
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2012-01-01
Series:International Journal of Cell Biology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/931956
Description
Summary:Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process occurring during periods of stress to ensure a cell's survival by recycling cytosolic constituents and making products that can be used in energy generation and other essential processes. Three major forms of autophagy exist according to the specific mechanism through which cytoplasmic material is transported to a lysosome. Chaperone-mediated autophagy is a highly selective form of autophagy that delivers specific proteins for lysosomal degradation. Microautophagy is a less selective form of autophagy that occurs through lysosomal membrane invaginations, forming tubes and directly engulfing cytoplasm. Finally, macroautophagy involves formation of new membrane bilayers (autophagosomes) that engulf cytosolic material and deliver it to lysosomes. This review provides new insights on the crosstalks between different forms of autophagy and the significance of bilayer-forming phospholipid synthesis in autophagosomal membrane formation.
ISSN:1687-8876
1687-8884