Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Measurements of Physiological Stress Responses in C. Elegans
Published on: May 21, 2020
High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) activates an autophagic response to oxidative stress
Daolin Tang1, Rui Kang, Kristen M Livesey
1Department of Surgery, Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. tangd2@upmc.edu
Aims:
Autophagy, the process by which cells break down spent biochemical and damaged components, plays an important role in cell survival following stress. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) regulates autophagy in response to oxidative stress.
Results:
Exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) treatment or knockdown of the major superoxide scavenger enzyme, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), by small interfering RNA (siRNA) increases autophagy in mouse and human cell lines. Addition of either SOD1 siRNA or H(2)O(2) promotes cytosolic HMGB1 expression and extracellular release. Importantly, inhibition of HMGB1 release or loss of HMGB1 decreases the number of autophagolysosomes and autophagic flux under oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro.
Innovation:
HMGB1 release may be a common mediator of response to oxidative stress.
Conclusion:
HMGB1 is important for oxidative stress-mediated autophagy and serves as a new target for the treatment of stress-associated disorders.
Related Concept Videos
Export of Misfolded Proteins out of the ER
Translocation of Proteins into the Mitochondria
Sorting of outer membrane proteins:
Mitochondrial outer membrane proteins are of two types: the transmembrane, beta-barrel porins, and the membrane-anchored, alpha-helical proteins. Beta-barrel porin precursors are translocated by the TOM complex and inserted into the outer mitochondrial membrane by the SAM complex. In contrast,...
Autophagy
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
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...

