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Live Cell Imaging of Early Autophagy Events: Omegasomes and Beyond
Published on: July 27, 2013
Autophagy in mammalian development and differentiation.
Noboru Mizushima1, Beth Levine
1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan. nmizu.phy2@tmd.ac.jp
Nature Cell Biology
|September 3, 2010
Summary
Autophagy, a cellular recycling process, is crucial for development. Recent studies using autophagy-related gene knockouts in mice reveal its essential roles in mammalian differentiation and development.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Autophagy, a conserved lysosomal degradation pathway, is known to be highly active during differentiation and development.
- The functional significance of autophagy during these processes remained unclear until the discovery of autophagy-related (ATG) genes in the 1990s.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in understanding the functions of autophagy in mammalian development and differentiation.
- To highlight the importance of autophagy-related genes in these biological processes.
Main Methods:
- Review of genetic knockout studies of ATG genes in lower eukaryotes.
- Analysis of systemic and tissue-specific knockout models of ATG genes in mice.
Main Results:
- Genetic knockout studies in lower eukaryotes established an essential role for autophagy in differentiation and development.
- Recent mouse models have significantly expanded knowledge regarding autophagy's functions in mammalian development and differentiation.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy plays a critical and essential role in mammalian development and differentiation.
- Further research utilizing genetic models continues to elucidate the intricate functions of autophagy.
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