Cell-Free Reconstitution of Autophagic Membrane Formation

Autophagy is a catabolic pathway for bulk turnover of cytoplasmic components through the lysosome. Completion of autophagy requires a sophisticated membrane remodeling process. The early steps involve autophagic membrane precursor generation from the intracellular membranes. The intricate protein-membrane interactions underlying autophagic membrane precursor generation have been a focus of attention but yet poorly defined. Here, we summarize the procedure of a cell-free system we have established to dissect the molecular mechanism of early autophagic membrane generation.