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Autophagy in Neuronal Development and Plasticity
Angeleen Fleming1, David C Rubinsztein2
1Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, The Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, The Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK.
Abstract:
Autophagy is a highly conserved intracellular clearance pathway in which cytoplasmic contents are trafficked to the lysosome for degradation. Within neurons, it helps to remove damaged organelles and misfolded or aggregated proteins and has therefore been the subject of intense research in relation to neurodegenerative disease. However, far less is understood about the role of autophagy in other aspects of neuronal physiology. Here we review the literature on the role of autophagy in maintaining neuronal stem cells and in neuronal plasticity in adult life and we discuss how these contribute to structural and functional deficits observed in a range of human disorders.
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