Molecular mechanisms of selective autophagy in Drosophila

Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process in which cytoplasmic material is recycled under various conditions of cellular stress, preventing cell damage and promoting survival in the event of energy or nutrient shortage, or in response to various cytotoxic insults. Autophagy is also responsible for the removal of aggregated proteins and damaged organelles, playing a vital role in the quality control of proteins and organelles. Impairment of autophagy has been linked to various diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, making it a very interesting process for further research. Recent research highlighted that autophagy is not random and can be selective, making it even more important to understand the molecular mechanisms of selectivity at the organismal level. Drosophila has been demonstrated to be an excellent animal model for studying selective autophagy, as the autophagic machinery is highly conserved, although much is still left to be explored. In this review, an overview of autophagy and its selectivity in Drosophila will be presented.