Selective autophagy

Essays Biochem. 2013:55:79-92. doi: 10.1042/bse0550079.

Abstract

During the last decade it has become evident that autophagy is not simply a non-selective bulk degradation pathway for intracellular components. On the contrary, the discovery and characterization of autophagy receptors which target specific cargo for lysosomal degradation by interaction with ATG8 (autophagy-related protein 8)/LC3 (light-chain 3) has accelerated our understanding of selective autophagy. A number of autophagy receptors have been identified which specifically mediate the selective autophagosomal degradation of a variety of cargoes including protein aggregates, signalling complexes, midbody rings, mitochondria and bacterial pathogens. In the present chapter, we discuss these autophagy receptors, their binding to ATG8/LC3 proteins and how they act in ubiquitin-mediated selective autophagy of intracellular bacteria (xenophagy) and protein aggregates (aggrephagy).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / chemistry
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Autophagy*
  • Humans
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / chemistry
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Ubiquitins / chemistry
  • Ubiquitins / metabolism

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Ubiquitins