Autophagy Mechanism
Autophagy acts like a recycling system, breaking down and removing dysfunctional parts to make way for new ones. The mechanism it follows is given below:
- Initiation: Autophagy begins when the cell senses the need to clean up. A structure called the isolation membrane, also known as the phagophore, starts to form.
- Nucleation: The isolation membrane expands, creating a double-membraned structure called the autophagosome. This structure engulfs the targeted cellular components slated for degradation.
- Maturation: The autophagosome then fuses with lysosomes, which are small organelles containing powerful enzymes. This fusion forms an autolysosome, where the cellular debris is broken down.
- Degradation and Recycling: Within the autolysosome, enzymes break down the engulfed components into smaller molecules, such as amino acids and fatty acids. These molecules are then recycled by the cell to build new structures or produce energy.
Autophagy
Autophagy comes from Greek words “auto” (self) and “phagy” (eating), which means cells eating themselves. Autophagy is a process where cells get rid of damaged parts to stay healthy. The various types of autophagy include macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy. In this article, we will cover in-depth about autophagy types, examples, and more.
Table of Content
- Autophagy Meaning
- Autophagy Mechanism
- Autophagy Causes
- Autophagy Functions
- Types of Autophagy
- Macroautophagy
- Microautophagy
- Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy (CMA)
- Selective Autophagy
- Mitophagy
- Pexophagy
- Lipophagy
- Cytophagy
- Autophagy and Autolysis
- Difference Between Autophagy and Phagocytosis
- Why is Autophagy Important?