Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Study of Protein-protein Interactions in Autophagy Research

Study of Protein-protein Interactions in Autophagy Research

Published on: September 9, 2017

Beyond self-eating: The control of nonautophagic functions and signaling pathways by autophagy-related proteins

Ken Cadwell^1,2, Jayanta Debnath³

¹Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY Ken.Cadwell@med.nyu.edu.

The Journal of Cell Biology

|December 15, 2017

Abstract:

The identification of conserved autophagy-related proteins (ATGs) that mediate bulk degradation of cytosolic material laid the foundation for breakthroughs linking autophagy to a litany of physiological processes and disease conditions. Recent discoveries are revealing that these same ATGs orchestrate processes that are related to, and yet clearly distinct from, classic autophagy. Autophagy-related functions include secretion, trafficking of phagocytosed material, replication and egress of viral particles, and regulation of inflammatory and immune signaling cascades. Here, we define common processes dependent on ATGs, and discuss the challenges in mechanistically separating autophagy from these related pathways. Elucidating the molecular events that distinguish how individual ATGs function promises to improve our understanding of the origin of diseases ranging from autoimmunity to cancer.

More Related Videos

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Published on: January 31, 2025

Author Spotlight: A Selective Luciferase-Based Assay for Monitoring ATG4B 27 Activity in Cells

Author Spotlight: A Selective Luciferase-Based Assay for Monitoring ATG4B 27 Activity in Cells

Published on: June 30, 2023

Related Concept Videos

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,...

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...

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...

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...

Regulated Protein Degradation

Regulated Protein Degradation

It is vital to regulate the activity of enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic proteins inside the cell. This can be achieved either through creating a balance between their rate of synthesis and degradation or regulating the intrinsic activity of the protein. Both these regulation mechanisms play an essential role in the normal functioning of cells.
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Diverse infections transcriptionally reprogram the intestinal epithelium and epithelial-immune cell interactions.

Nature immunology·2026

Discovery Stack Pilot demonstrates the feasibility and outcomes of a scientist-designed peer-review model that separates quality and impact.

PLoS biology·2026

Membrane ATG8ylation in secretory autophagy.

Autophagy·2026

Pharmacological reduction of neutrophil infiltration reduces Clostridioides difficile infection severity.

mBio·2026

Microautophagy: current understanding of its molecular mechanisms and functions.

Autophagy reports·2026

Functional divergence of the gut microbiome associated with lifestyle and helminth infection in Indigenous Peninsular Malaysian.

Research square·2026

See all related articles