How autophagy both activates and inhibits cellular senescence

• Published in: Autophagy Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 898 - 899
• Main Authors: Kang, Chanhee, Elledge, Stephen J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 03.05.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Autophagic Puncta; Autophagy - physiology; Cellular senescence; Cellular Senescence - physiology; DNA Damage - genetics; DNA damage response (DDR); GATA4; GATA4 Transcription Factor - metabolism; Humans; Lysosomes - metabolism; Phenotype; selective autophagy; senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP); SQSTM1/p62; SQSTM1/p62; GATA4; Cellular senescence; DNA damage response (DDR); selective autophagy; senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP)
• ISSN: 1554-8627; 1554-8635; 1554-8635
• DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2015.1121361

Autophagy and cellular senescence are stress responses essential for homeostasis. While recent studies indicate a genetic relationship between autophagy and senescence, whether autophagy acts positively or negatively on senescence is still subject to debate. Although autophagy was originally recognized as a nonspecific lysosomal degradation pathway (general autophagy), increasing evidence supports a selective form of autophagy that mediates the degradation of specific targets (selective autophagy). Our recent study revealed distinctive roles of selective autophagy and general autophagy in the regulation of senescence, at least in part resolving apparently contradictory reports regarding the relationship between these 2 important homeostatic stress responses.