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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

In-vitro Reconstitution of Bacterial Ubiquitination and VCP/p97-mediated Elimination
Published on: January 2, 2026
Autophagy subversion by bacteria
Emanuel Campoy1, María I Colombo
1Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.
Abstract:
Autophagy is an important cell survival process during nitrogen starvation conditions, and it also plays a housekeeping role, removing superfluous or aged organelles. Autophagy has also been linked to host cell control of several intracellular microorganisms. However, since it is an important host defense mechanism, some pathogens have also evolved strategies to exploit or subvert autophagy. Thus, certain pathogens harness autophagy, leading to persistent infection and pathogenesis. In this chapter we highlight our current understanding of those bacterial pathogens that transit through the autophagic pathway, efficiently replicating and surviving within the host cell. In addition, we discuss present knowledge of how autophagy modulation affects the infectious capacities and life cycles of several intracellular pathogens.
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