In vitro methods in autophagy research: Applications in neurodegenerative diseases and mood disorders

• Published in: Frontiers in molecular neuroscience Vol. 16; p. 1168948
• Main Authors: Sánchez-Vidaña, Dalinda Isabel, Li, Jingjing, Abokyi, Samuel, Chan, Jackie Ngai-Man, Ngai, Shirley Pui-Ching, Lau, Benson Wui-Man
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 12.04.2023; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Biosynthesis; Cell division; cell-based assays; depression; Emotional disorders; Homeostasis; Huntington's disease; Huntingtons disease; Mental depression; Molecular Neuroscience; Mood; Mood disorders; Movement disorders; Neurodegenerative diseases; neurodegenerative disorders; Neurological diseases; Organelles; Parkinson's disease; Pathophysiology; Proteins; Reviews; Therapeutic applications; cell-based assays; autophagy; depression; neurodegenerative disorders; mood disorders
• ISSN: 1662-5099; 1662-5099
• DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1168948

Autophagy is a conserved physiological intracellular mechanism responsible for the degradation and recycling of cytoplasmic constituents (e.g., damaged organelles, and protein aggregates) to maintain cell homeostasis. Aberrant autophagy has been observed in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington's Disease (HD), and recently aberrant autophagy has been associated with mood disorders, such as depression. Several methods have been developed to study the complex and tightly regulated mechanisms of autophagy. methods applied to autophagy research are used to identify molecular key players involved in dysfunctional autophagy and to screen autophagy regulators with therapeutic applications in neurological diseases and mood disorders. Therefore, the aims of this narrative review are (1) to compile information on the cell-based methods used in autophagy research, (2) to discuss their application, and (3) to create a catalog of traditional and novel methods applied in neurodegenerative diseases and depression. Pubmed and Google Scholar were used to retrieve relevant studies on autophagy mechanisms in neurological diseases and depression using a combination of search terms per mechanism and disease (e.g., "macroautophagy" and "Alzheimer's disease"). A total of 37 studies were included (14 in PD, 8 in AD, 5 in ALS, 5 in %, and 5 in depression). A repertoire of traditional and novel approaches and techniques was compiled and discussed. The methods used in autophagy research focused on the mechanisms of macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy. The tools presented in this review can be applied to explore pathophysiological mechanisms at a molecular level and to screen for potential therapeutic agents and their mechanism of action, which can be of great importance to understanding disease biology and potential therapeutic options in the context of neurodegenerative disorders and depression. This is the first review to compile, discuss, and provide a catalog of traditional and novel models applied to neurodegenerative disorders and depression.