Biological Roles of Alternative Autophagy

Mol Cells. 2018 Jan 31;41(1):50-54. doi: 10.14348/molcells.2018.2215. Epub 2018 Jan 23.

Abstract

Atg5 and Atg7 have long been considered as essential molecules for autophagy. However, we found that cells lacking these molecules still form autophagic vacuoles and perform autophagic protein degradation when subjected to certain stressors. During this unconventional autophagy pathway, autophagosomes appeared to be generated in a Rab9-dependent manner by the fusion of vesicles derived from the trans-Golgi and late endosomes. Therefore, mammalian autophagy can occur via at least two different pathways; the Atg5/Atg7-dependent conventional pathway and an Atg5/Atg7-independent alternative pathway.

Keywords: Atg5; Golgi membrane; alternative autophagy; erythrocyte maturation; proteolysis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autophagosomes / metabolism*
  • Autophagy*
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 5 / metabolism
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 7 / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lysosomes / metabolism*
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Models, Biological
  • Phagosomes / metabolism*

Substances

  • Autophagy-Related Protein 5
  • MAP1LC3A protein, human
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 7