Document Detail


Autophagy in protists.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20962583     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Autophagy is the degradative process by which eukaryotic cells digest their own components using acid hydrolases within the lysosome. Originally thought to function almost exclusively in providing starving cells with nutrients taken from their own cellular constituents, autophagy is in fact involved in numerous cellular events including differentiation, turnover of macromolecules and organelles, and defense against parasitic invaders. During the last 10-20 years, molecular components of the autophagic machinery have been discovered, revealing a complex interactome of proteins and lipids, which, in a concerted way, induce membrane formation to engulf cellular material and target it for lysosomal degradation. Here, our emphasis is autophagy in protists. We discuss experimental and genomic data indicating that the canonical autophagy machinery characterized in animals and fungi appeared prior to the radiation of major eukaryotic lineages. Moreover, we describe how comparative bioinformatics revealed that this canonical machinery has been subject to moderation, outright loss or elaboration on multiple occasions in protist lineages, most probably as a consequence of diverse lifestyle adaptations. We also review experimental studies illustrating how several pathogenic protists either utilize autophagy mechanisms or manipulate host-cell autophagy in order to establish or maintain infection within a host. The essentiality of autophagy for the pathogenicity of many parasites, and the unique features of some of the autophagy-related proteins involved, suggest possible new targets for drug discovery. Further studies of the molecular details of autophagy in protists will undoubtedly enhance our understanding of the diversity and complexity of this cellular phenomenon and the opportunities it offers as a drug target.
Authors:
Michael Duszenko; Michael L Ginger; Ana Brennand; Melisa Gualdrón-López; María Isabel Colombo; Graham H Coombs; Isabelle Coppens; Bamini Jayabalasingham; Gordon Langsley; Solange Lisboa de Castro; Rubem Menna-Barreto; Jeremy C Mottram; Miguel Navarro; Daniel J Rigden; Patricia S Romano; Veronika Stoka; Boris Turk; Paul A M Michels
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review     Date:  2011-02-01
Journal Detail:
Title:  Autophagy     Volume:  7     ISSN:  1554-8635     ISO Abbreviation:  Autophagy     Publication Date:  2011 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-01-10     Completed Date:  2011-04-25     Revised Date:  2012-02-01    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101265188     Medline TA:  Autophagy     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  127-58     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Autophagy*
Eukaryotic Cells / cytology*,  ultrastructure
Evolution, Molecular
Genome / genetics
Host-Parasite Interactions
Parasites / cytology,  ultrastructure
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
075820/A/04/Z//Wellcome Trust; G0700127//Medical Research Council

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