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Autophagy

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...

Autophagic Cell Death

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...

Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells

Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells

Cells undergoing apoptosis form apoptotic bodies that must be removed immediately to prevent inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and necrosis. Phagocytosis is carried out by professional phagocytes such as macrophages or immature dendritic cells. Non-professional phagocytes such as epithelial cells and fibroblasts also take part in this process; however, they are not as effective as professional phagocytes.
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized by phagocytes.

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

Published on: July 21, 2017

Autophagy in immunity and inflammation.

Beth Levine¹, Noboru Mizushima, Herbert W Virgin

¹Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390-9113, USA. beth.levine@utsouthwestern.edu

|January 21, 2011

Summary

Autophagy, a cellular process, is vital for adapting to nutrient scarcity and immunity. Autophagy proteins regulate cellular responses to infection, inflammation, and may protect against related diseases.

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Cecal Ligation and Puncture-induced Sepsis as a Model To Study Autophagy in Mice

Cecal Ligation and Puncture-induced Sepsis as a Model To Study Autophagy in Mice

Published on: February 9, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

Published on: July 21, 2017

Cecal Ligation and Puncture-induced Sepsis as a Model To Study Autophagy in Mice

Cecal Ligation and Puncture-induced Sepsis as a Model To Study Autophagy in Mice

Published on: February 9, 2014

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Immunology

Background:

Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process for degrading damaged components.
Its primary role is nutrient deprivation adaptation.
Autophagy machinery also responds to other cellular stressors like infection.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the role of autophagy in immunity and inflammation.
To understand how autophagy proteins modulate cellular responses to danger signals.

Main Methods:

Analysis of the core molecular machinery of autophagy.
Investigating the function of autophagy proteins in multicellular organisms.

Main Results:

Autophagy proteins orchestrate cellular and organismal responses to stimuli like infection.
The autophagy pathway plays a critical role in regulating immunity and inflammation.

Conclusions:

Autophagy proteins balance beneficial and detrimental aspects of immune and inflammatory responses.
This pathway may offer protection against infectious, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases.