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The Autophagy-Lysosome System<br />

Introduction<br />

Autophagy is an <strong>in</strong>tracellular <strong>degradation</strong> system which delivers cytoplasmatic<br />

compontents to <strong>the</strong> lysosome. There are three dist<strong>in</strong>ct types <strong>of</strong> autophagy –<br />

microautophagy, chaperone-mediated autophagy <strong>and</strong> macroautophagy – <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

name “autophagy” usually refers to <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> macroautophagy unless o<strong>the</strong>r-<br />

wise specified (Mizushima <strong>and</strong> Klionsky, 2007). Microautophagy <strong>in</strong>volves <strong>the</strong> bud-<br />

d<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> small cytosol-conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g vessels directly <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> lysosomal lumen. Dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

chaperone-mediated autophagy, prote<strong>in</strong>s carry<strong>in</strong>g a signal-peptide for lysosomal<br />

sort<strong>in</strong>g are directly transported <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> lysosome by <strong>the</strong> transporter LAMP-2a,<br />

which is assisted by cytosolic <strong>and</strong> lysosomal chaperones <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> HSC70 family<br />

(Massey et al., 2006). Macroautophagy is mediated by a unique organelle termed<br />

<strong>the</strong> autophagosome. Dur<strong>in</strong>g its process, a crescent-shaped isolation membrane<br />

forms de novo <strong>and</strong> encloses cytoplasmatic components – sometimes <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

whole organelles – <strong>in</strong> a double-membraned vesicle, which subsequently fuses with<br />

a lysosome for <strong>the</strong> <strong>degradation</strong> <strong>of</strong> its cargo <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>ner membrane (Ohsumi, 2001<br />

<strong>and</strong> Fig. 5).<br />

Nutrient starvation – <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> lack <strong>of</strong> am<strong>in</strong>o acids <strong>in</strong> particular – is <strong>the</strong> most typi-<br />

cal trigger <strong>of</strong> autophagy, although a number <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r factors <strong>in</strong>cluc<strong>in</strong>g, but not lim-<br />

ited to, <strong>in</strong>sul<strong>in</strong>, growth factors or TRAIL are also able to negatively or positively<br />

affect autophagy (Mizushima, 2007). Many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> signals modulat<strong>in</strong>g autophagy<br />

converge at mTOR (mammalian target <strong>of</strong> rapamyc<strong>in</strong>), which is a master regula-<br />

tor <strong>of</strong> nutrient signal<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> potent <strong>in</strong>hibitor <strong>of</strong> autophagy. Inhibition <strong>of</strong> mTOR<br />

ultimately results <strong>in</strong> autophagosome formation, which is mediated through <strong>the</strong><br />

concerted action <strong>of</strong> approximately 20 autophagy-related (ATG) prote<strong>in</strong>s <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>-<br />

volves <strong>the</strong> action <strong>of</strong> two <strong>ubiquit<strong>in</strong></strong>-<strong>like</strong> conjugation systems. In a first step, <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>ubiquit<strong>in</strong></strong>-<strong>like</strong> <strong>modifier</strong>s ATG8 – which requires prior process<strong>in</strong>g by ATG4 to re-<br />

move its C-term<strong>in</strong>al extension – <strong>and</strong> ATG12 are activated through <strong>the</strong>ir common<br />

E1 enzyme ATG7. ATG8, which <strong>in</strong> mammals is known as LC3 (light cha<strong>in</strong> 3),<br />

<strong>the</strong>n becomes conjugated to <strong>the</strong> lipid phosphatidyl-ethanolam<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> form<strong>in</strong>g<br />

isolation membrane through its E2 enzyme ATG3. Follow<strong>in</strong>g completion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

autophagosome, ATG8 gets recycled from <strong>the</strong> outer autophagosomal membrane<br />

by deconjugation from <strong>the</strong> phospholipid, however, it rema<strong>in</strong>s attached to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ner<br />

membrane <strong>and</strong> this portion is degraded upon fusion with <strong>the</strong> lysosome. Ow<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

its prom<strong>in</strong>ent localization to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> autophagosomal membrane, ATG8<br />

has been suggested to function as an anchor for autophagy substrates. ATG12 <strong>in</strong><br />

turn becomes conjugated to ATG5 through <strong>the</strong> action <strong>of</strong> its E2 enzyme ATG10.<br />

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