Biological Functions of Autophagy Genes: A Disease Perspective

Overview

Journal Cell

Publisher Cell Press

Specialty Cell Biology

Date 2019 Jan 12

PMID 30633901

Citations 1256

Authors

Beth Levine

Guido Kroemer

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The lysosomal degradation pathway of autophagy plays a fundamental role in cellular, tissue, and organismal homeostasis and is mediated by evolutionarily conserved autophagy-related (ATG) genes. Definitive etiological links exist between mutations in genes that control autophagy and human disease, especially neurodegenerative, inflammatory disorders and cancer. Autophagy selectively targets dysfunctional organelles, intracellular microbes, and pathogenic proteins, and deficiencies in these processes may lead to disease. Moreover, ATG genes have diverse physiologically important roles in other membrane-trafficking and signaling pathways. This Review discusses the biological functions of autophagy genes from the perspective of understanding-and potentially reversing-the pathophysiology of human disease and aging.

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