Cargo recognition and trafficking in selective autophagy

• Published in: Nature cell biology Vol. 16; no. 6; pp. 495 - 501
• Main Authors: Stolz, Alexandra, Ernst, Andreas, Dikic, Ivan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.06.2014; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/80/313; 631/80/39; Animals; Autophagy; Autophagy (Cytology); Biological transport; Cancer Research; Cell Biology; Cell receptors; Developmental Biology; Endoplasmic reticulum; Humans; Intracellular Membranes - metabolism; Kinases; Life Sciences; Membranes; Mitochondria; Pathogens; Physiological aspects; Protein Transport; Proteins; Quality control; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - metabolism; review-article; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Stem Cells; Transport Vesicles - metabolism; Yeast; Germany
• ISSN: 1465-7392; 1476-4679
• DOI: 10.1038/ncb2979

The degradation of dysfunctional proteins and organelles by autophagy is important for cell viability. Dikic and co-authors discuss how cargo selection is achieved during selective autophagy and how the processes involved in cargo delivery are related to membrane trafficking pathways. Selective autophagy is a quality control pathway through which cellular components are sequestered into double-membrane vesicles and delivered to specific intracellular compartments. This process requires autophagy receptors that link cargo to growing autophagosomal membranes. Selective autophagy is also implicated in various membrane trafficking events. Here we discuss the current view on how cargo selection and transport are achieved during selective autophagy, and point out molecular mechanisms that are congruent between autophagy and vesicle trafficking pathways.