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Related Concept Videos

Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

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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.
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Vesicle budding is orchestrated by distinct cytosolic proteins such as adaptor proteins, coat proteins, and GTPases. To initiate vesicle budding, membrane-bending proteins containing crescent-shaped BAR domains bind to the lipid heads in the bilayer and distort the membrane to form a protein-coated vesicle bud. Adaptors proteins such as AP2 for clathrin-coated vesicles can nucleate on the deformed membrane. Finally, coat proteins such as clathrin or COPI and COPII assemble into a coat forming...
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Once a transport vesicle has recognized its target organelle, the vesicular membrane needs to fuse with the target membrane to unload the cargo. Transmembrane proteins called SNAREs present on organelle membranes and their vesicles, mediate vesicle fusion.
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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. 
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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 31, 2026

"Phagosome Closure Assay" to Visualize Phagosome Formation in Three Dimensions Using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescent Microscopy TIRFM
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Autophagosome closure requires membrane scission.

Roland L Knorr1, Reinhard Lipowsky1, Rumiana Dimova1

  • 1a Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces; Science Park Golm ; Potsdam , Germany.

Autophagy
|October 16, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Autophagosome formation involves membrane remodeling. The final step, phagophore closure, is a membrane scission event, not fusion, crucial for understanding autophagy.

Keywords:
autophagyclosuremembrane fissionmembrane fusionmembrane neckmembrane scissionnuclear porephagophoresporulationyeast

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Macroautophagy (autophagy) is a fundamental cellular process involving the de novo generation of the autophagosome.
  • Autophagosome biogenesis requires complex membrane remodeling and topological changes.
  • The precise mechanism of phagophore closure, the final step in autophagosome formation, remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the topological membrane transformation during phagophore closure.
  • To re-evaluate the mechanistic basis of the final step of autophagosome formation.
  • To advocate for the consistent use of precise terminology in autophagy research.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of autophagosome biogenesis literature.
  • Topological analysis of membrane dynamics during autophagosome formation.
  • Comparative review of membrane scission versus membrane fusion events in cellular processes.

Main Results:

  • Phagophore closure results in the separation of inner and outer autophagic membranes, consistent with membrane scission.
  • Contrary to some interpretations, membrane fusion is not the primary mechanism for phagophore closure.
  • Misinterpretations may arise from the complex topological changes during autophagosome maturation.

Conclusions:

  • The closure of the phagophore during autophagosome formation is a membrane scission event.
  • Consistent use of the term "membrane scission" is recommended to avoid ambiguity.
  • Clarifying this step enhances the understanding of the fundamental process of autophagy.