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Related Concept Videos

Autophagy01:27

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 Lysosome01:36

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...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

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...
Anaphase Promoting Complex00:50

Anaphase Promoting Complex

The stepwise destruction of specific proteins is necessary for the progression and completion of the cell cycle. Such proteins are ubiquitinated by ubiquitin ligases and then subsequently destroyed by the proteasome. The SCF (Skp1/Cullin/F-box) and the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) are two important ubiquitin ligases involved in cell cycle progression. While SCF is active throughout the cell cycle, APC gets activated during metaphase to anaphase transition. Cdc20 or Cdh1 binds to APC and...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

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...
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
11:39

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

Published on: July 21, 2017

Noncanonical autophagy promotes the visual cycle.

Ji-Young Kim1, Hui Zhao, Jennifer Martinez

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Cell
|July 23, 2013
PubMed
Summary

The retinal pigment epithelium uses autophagy and phagocytosis to degrade photoreceptor outer segments, essential for vision. This process maintains retinoid levels, crucial for light response.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 9, 2026

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
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Visualizing Mitophagy with Fluorescent Dyes for Mitochondria and Lysosome
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Visualizing Mitophagy with Fluorescent Dyes for Mitochondria and Lysosome

Published on: November 30, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Photoreceptor outer segment (POS) degradation by retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is vital for vision.
  • The role of autophagy in POS degradation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of autophagy in the degradation of POS by RPE.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms linking phagocytosis and autophagy in RPE.

Main Methods:

  • Studied the enzymatic conversion of autophagy protein LC3 in RPE.
  • Utilized Atg5-deficient RPE cells in mice to assess POS degradation.
  • Measured photoreceptor responses and chromophore levels in mice.

Main Results:

  • Autophagy protein LC3 associated with POS-containing phagosomes in an Atg5-dependent manner.
  • Atg5-deficient RPE cells showed impaired lysosomal processing of POS.
  • Mice with deficient RPE cells had reduced light responses and chromophore levels.

Conclusions:

  • The interplay between phagocytosis and autophagy in RPE is critical for POS degradation.
  • This process is essential for maintaining retinoid levels and supporting visual function.