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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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice

Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice

Published on: February 3, 2017

Autophagy.

Thomas Wollert¹

¹Membrane Biochemistry and Transport, Institut Pasteur Paris, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.

Current Biology : CB

|July 24, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cells use autophagy to degrade components, forming double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. This process is selective under normal conditions but non-selective during stress for survival.

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Last Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice

Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice

Published on: February 3, 2017

Live Cell Imaging of Early Autophagy Events: Omegasomes and Beyond

Live Cell Imaging of Early Autophagy Events: Omegasomes and Beyond

Published on: July 27, 2013

Use of Shigella flexneri to Study Autophagy-Cytoskeleton Interactions

Use of Shigella flexneri to Study Autophagy-Cytoskeleton Interactions

Published on: September 9, 2014

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Lysosomes, discovered by Christian de Duve, are organelles containing hydrolytic enzymes.
Early studies showed lysosomes degrade cytoplasmic components delivered via vesicles.
The process of autophagy involves the formation of double-membrane vesicles (autophagosomes).

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the dual nature of autophagy: selective degradation for homeostasis and non-selective degradation for stress survival.
To detail the morphological characteristics and cargo specificity of autophagosomes under different cellular conditions.

Main Methods:

Morphological characterization of autophagosomes using electron microscopy.
Analysis of autophagosome content under normal and stress conditions (cytotoxic stress, starvation).

Main Results:

Autophagosomes primarily contain bulk cytoplasm, suggesting non-selective degradation.
Under normal conditions, macroautophagy selectively sequesters damaged or superfluous cellular material.
During stress, autophagosomes capture bulk cytoplasm non-selectively, aiding cell survival.

Conclusions:

Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process with both selective and non-selective degradation pathways.
Selective autophagy maintains cellular homeostasis by removing specific damaged components.
Non-selective autophagy is a critical stress response for cell survival under adverse conditions.