Identification of autophagy genes participating in zinc-induced necrotic cell death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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Dziedzic, Slawomir A; Caplan, Allan B

2011-05-01

Eukaryotes use a common set of genes to perform two mechanistically similar autophagic processes. Bulk autophagy harvests proteins nonselectively and reuses their constitutents when nutrients are scarce. In contrast, different forms of selective autophagy target protein aggregates or damaged organelles that threaten to interfere with growth. Yeast uses one form of selective autophagy, called cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting (Cvt), to engulf two vacuolar enzymes in Cvt vesicles ("CVT-somes") within which they are transported to vacuoles for maturation. While both are dispensable normally, bulk and selective autophagy help sustain life under stressful conditions. Consistent with this view, knocking out several genes participating in Cvt and specialized autophagic pathways heightened the sensitivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to inhibitory levels of Zn(2+). The loss of other autophagic genes, and genes responsible for apoptotic cell death, had no such effect. Unexpectedly, the loss of members of a third set of autophagy genes heightened cellular resistance to zinc as if they encoded proteins that actively contributed to zinc-induced cell death. Further studies showed that both sensitive and resistant strains accumulated similar amounts of H2O2 during zinc treatments, but that more sensitive strains showed signs of necrosis sooner. Although zinc lethality depended on autophagic proteins, studies with several reporter genes failed to reveal increased autophagic activity. In fact, microscopy analysis indicated that Zn(2+) partially inhibited fusion of Cvt vesicles with vacuoles. Further studies into how the loss of autophagic processes suppressed necrosis in yeast might reveal whether a similar process could occur in plants and animals.

Stress-induced self-cannibalism: on the regulation of autophagy by endoplasmic reticulum stress.

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Deegan, Shane; Saveljeva, Svetlana; Gorman, Adrienne M; Samali, Afshin

2013-07-01

Macroautophagy (autophagy) is a cellular catabolic process which can be described as a self-cannibalism. It serves as an essential protective response during conditions of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through the bulk removal and degradation of unfolded proteins and damaged organelles; in particular, mitochondria (mitophagy) and ER (reticulophagy). Autophagy is genetically regulated and the autophagic machinery facilitates removal of damaged cell components and proteins; however, if the cell stress is acute or irreversible, cell death ensues. Despite these advances in the field, very little is known about how autophagy is initiated and how the autophagy machinery is transcriptionally regulated in response to ER stress. Some three dozen autophagy genes have been shown to be required for the correct assembly and function of the autophagic machinery; however; very little is known about how these genes are regulated by cellular stress. Here, we will review current knowledge regarding how ER stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR) induce autophagy, including description of the different autophagy-related genes which are regulated by the UPR.

Modulation of Apoptosis Pathways by Oxidative Stress and Autophagy in β Cells

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Maorong Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Human islets isolated for transplantation are exposed to multiple stresses including oxidative stress and hypoxia resulting in significant loss of functional β cell mass. In this study we examined the modulation of apoptosis pathway genes in islets exposed to hydrogen peroxide, peroxynitrite, hypoxia, and cytokines. We observed parallel induction of pro- and antiapoptotic pathways and identified several novel genes including BFAR, CARD8, BNIP3, and CIDE-A. As BNIP3 is an inducer of autophagy, we examined this pathway in MIN6 cells, a mouse beta cell line and in human islets. Culture of MIN6 cells under low serum conditions increased the levels of several proteins in autophagy pathway, including ATG4, Beclin 1, LAMP-2, and UVRAG. Amino acid deprivation led to induction of autophagy in human islets. Preconditioning of islets with inducers of autophagy protected them from hypoxia-induced apoptosis. However, induction of autophagy during hypoxia exacerbated apoptotic cell death. ER stress led to induction of autophagy and apoptosis in β cells. Overexpression of MnSOD, an enzyme that scavenges free radicals, resulted in protection of MIN6 cells from cytokine-induced apoptosis. Ceramide, a mediator of cytokine-induced injury, reduced the active phosphorylated form of Akt and downregulated the promoter activity of the antiapoptotic gene bcl-2. Furthermore, cytokine-stimulated JNK pathway downregulated the bcl-2 promoter activity which was reversed by preincubation with SP600125, a JNK inhibitor. Our findings suggest that β cell apoptosis by multiple stresses in islets isolated for transplantation is the result of orchestrated gene expression in apoptosis pathway.

Autophagy protects type II alveolar epithelial cells from Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

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Guo, Xu-Guang; Ji, Tian-Xing; Xia, Yong; Ma, Yue-Yun

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We investigated the protective effect of autophagy pathway against MTB infection. ► MTB-infected A549 cells had higher LDH release. ► Inhibition of autophagy signaling significantly enhanced the MTB-induced necrosis. ► Autophagy prevents apoptosis and promotes cell survival in infected cells. -- Abstract: This study was designed to investigate the protective effect of the autophagy signaling pathway against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in type II alveolar epithelial cells. An in vitro M. tuberculosis system was established using human A549 cells. Infection-induced changes in the expression of the autophagic marker LC3 were assessed by reverse transcription-PCR and Western blotting. Morphological changes in autophagosomes were detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The function of the autophagy signaling pathway during infection was assessed by measuring the level of cell death and the amount of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released in the presence or absence of the inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). In addition, effects on LDH release were assessed after the siRNA-mediated knockdown of the essential autophagosomal structural membrane protein Atg5. LC3 mRNA expression was significantly reduced in M.tuberculosis-infected A549 cells (16888.76 ± 1576.34 vs. uninfected: 12744.29 ± 1089.37; P < 0.05). TEM revealed M.tuberculosis bacilli-containing compartments that were surrounded by double membranes characteristic of the autophagic process. M.tuberculosis-infected A549 cells released more LDH (1.45 ± 0.12 vs. uninfected: 0.45 ± 0.04; P < 0.05). The inhibition of autophagy signaling significantly enhanced M.tuberculosis-induced necrosis (3-MA: 75 ± 5% vs. untreated: 15 ± 1%; P < 0.05) and LDH release (3-MA: 2.50 ± 0.24 vs. untreated: 0.45 ± 0.04; Atg5 knockdown: 3.19 ± 0.29 vs. untreated: 1.28 ± 0.11; P < 0.05). Our results indicate that autophagy signaling pathway prevents apoptosis in type II alveolar epithelial cells

Lack of Connection Between Midgut Cell Autophagy Gene Expression and BmCPV Infection in the Midgut of Bombyx mori.

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Yang, Xiaobing; Wu, Suli; Wu, Yongpeng; Liu, Yang; Qian, Yonghua; Jiao, Feng

2015-01-01

Autophagy is associated with multiple biological processes and has protective and defensive functions with respect to immunity, inflammation, and resistance to microbial infection. In this experiment, we wished to investigate whether autophagy is a factor in the midgut cell response of Bombyx mori to infection by the B. mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV). Our results indicated that the expression of three autophagy-related genes (BmAtg8, BmAtg5, and BmAtg7) in the midgut did not change greatly after BmCPV infection in B. mori. Basal ATG8/ATG8PE protein expression was detected in different B. mori tissues by using western blot analysis. Immunohistochemistry showed that the ATG8/ATG8PE proteins were located mainly in the cytoplasm. ATG8/ATG8PE protein levels decreased at 12 and 16 h after BmCPV infection. Our results indicate that autophagy responded slightly to BmCPV infection, but could not prevent the invasion and replication of the virus. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

FGFR antagonist induces protective autophagy in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cell

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Chen, Yi; Xie, Xiaoyan; Li, Xinyi; Wang, Peiqi; Jing, Qian; Yue, Jiaqi; Liu, Yang; Cheng, Zhong; Li, Jingyi; Song, Haixing; Li, Guoyu; Liu, Rui; Wang, Jinhui

2016-01-01

Breast cancer, representing approximately 30% of all gynecological cancer cases diagnosed yearly, is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality for women. Amplification of FGFR1 is frequently observed in breast cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. Though FGFRs have long been considered as anti-cancer drug targets, and a cluster of FGFR antagonists are currently under clinical trials, the precise cellular responses under the treatment of FGFR antagonists remains unclear. Here, we show that PD166866, an FGFR1-selective inhibitor, inhibits proliferation and triggers anoikis in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cell lines. Notably, we demonstrate that PD166866 induces autophagy in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cell lines, while blockage of autophagy by Atg5 knockdown further enhances the anti-proliferative activities of PD166866. Moreover, mechanistic study reveals that PD166866 induces autophagy through repressing Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Together, the present study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor activities of FGFR antagonists, and may further assist the FGFRs-based drug discovery. -- Highlights: •FGFR1 antagonist inhibits cell viability in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cells. •FGFR1 antagonist induces autophagy in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cells. •FGFR1 antagonist-induced autophagy is protective. •FGFR1 antagonist induces autophagy by inhibiting Akt/mTOR pathway.

FGFR antagonist induces protective autophagy in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cell

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Chen, Yi [The School of Biomedical Sciences, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610083 (China); Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu (China); Xie, Xiaoyan; Li, Xinyi; Wang, Peiqi [State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University (China); Jing, Qian; Yue, Jiaqi; Liu, Yang [The School of Biomedical Sciences, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610083 (China); Cheng, Zhong [Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu (China); Li, Jingyi, E-mail: li--jingyi@hotmail.com [The School of Biomedical Sciences, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610083 (China); Song, Haixing [The School of Biomedical Sciences, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610083 (China); Li, Guoyu, E-mail: liguoyulisa@163.com [School of Pharmacy, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003 (China); Liu, Rui, E-mail: liurui_scu@hotmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University (China); Wang, Jinhui [School of Pharmacy, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003 (China)

2016-05-20

Breast cancer, representing approximately 30% of all gynecological cancer cases diagnosed yearly, is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality for women. Amplification of FGFR1 is frequently observed in breast cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. Though FGFRs have long been considered as anti-cancer drug targets, and a cluster of FGFR antagonists are currently under clinical trials, the precise cellular responses under the treatment of FGFR antagonists remains unclear. Here, we show that PD166866, an FGFR1-selective inhibitor, inhibits proliferation and triggers anoikis in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cell lines. Notably, we demonstrate that PD166866 induces autophagy in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cell lines, while blockage of autophagy by Atg5 knockdown further enhances the anti-proliferative activities of PD166866. Moreover, mechanistic study reveals that PD166866 induces autophagy through repressing Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Together, the present study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor activities of FGFR antagonists, and may further assist the FGFRs-based drug discovery. -- Highlights: •FGFR1 antagonist inhibits cell viability in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cells. •FGFR1 antagonist induces autophagy in FGFR1-amplified breast cancer cells. •FGFR1 antagonist-induced autophagy is protective. •FGFR1 antagonist induces autophagy by inhibiting Akt/mTOR pathway.

Autophagy activation promotes removal of damaged mitochondria and protects against renal tubular injury induced by albumin overload.

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Tan, Jin; Wang, Miaohong; Song, Shuling; Miao, Yuyang; Zhang, Qiang

2018-01-10

Proteinuria (albuminuria) is an important cause of aggravating tubulointerstitial injury. Previous studies have shown that autophagy activation can alleviate renal tubular epithelial cell injury caused by urinary protein, but the mechanism is not clear. Here, we investigated the role of clearance of damaged mitochondria in this protective effect. We found that albumin overload induces a significant increase in turnover of LC3-II and decrease in p62 protein level in renal proximal tubular (HK-2) cells in vitro. Albumin overload also induces an increase in mitochondrial damage. ALC, a mitochondrial torpent, alleviates mitochondrial damage induced by albumin overload and also decreases autophagy, while mitochondrial damage revulsant CCCP further increases autophagy. Furthermore, pretreatment of HK-2 cells with rapamycin reduced the amount of damaged mitochondria and the level of apoptosis induced by albumin overload. In contrast, blocking autophagy with chloroquine exerted an opposite effect. Taken together, our results indicated autophagy activation promotes removal of damaged mitochondria and protects against renal tubular injury caused by albumin overload. This further confirms previous research that autophagy activation is an adaptive response in renal tubular epithelial cells after urinary protein overload.

No evidence for activated autophagy in left ventricular myocardium at early reperfusion with protection by remote ischemic preconditioning in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

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Nilgün Gedik

Full Text Available Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC by repeated brief limb ischemia/reperfusion reduces myocardial injury in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG. Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5 in left ventricular (LV myocardium at early reperfusion is associated with such protection. Autophagy, i.e., removal of dysfunctional cellular components through lysosomes, has been proposed as one mechanism of cardioprotection. Therefore, we analyzed whether or not the protection by RIPC is associated with activated autophagy.CABG patients were randomized to undergo RIPC (3×5 min blood pressure cuff inflation/5 min deflation or placebo (cuff deflated before skin incision (n = 10/10. Transmural myocardial biopsies were taken from the LV before cardioplegia (baseline and at early (5-10 min reperfusion. RIPC-induced protection was reflected by decreased serum troponin I concentration area under the curve (194±17 versus 709±129 ng/ml × 72 h, p = 0.002. Western blotting for beclin-1-phosphorylation and protein expression of autophagy-related gene 5-12 (ATG5-12 complex, light chain 3 (LC3, parkin, and p62 was performed. STAT3-, STAT5- and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2-phosphorylation was used as positive control to confirm signal activation by ischemia/reperfusion.Signals of all analyzed autophagy proteins did not differ between baseline and early reperfusion and not between RIPC and placebo. STAT5-phosphorylation was greater at early reperfusion only with RIPC (2.2-fold, p = 0.02. STAT3- and ERK1/2-phosphorylation were greater at early reperfusion with placebo and RIPC (≥2.7-fold versus baseline, p≤0.05.Protection through RIPC in patients undergoing CABG surgery does not appear to be associated with enhanced autophagy in LV myocardium at early reperfusion.

Altered Autophagy-Associated Genes Expression in T Cells of Oral Lichen Planus Correlated with Clinical Features

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Ya-Qin Tan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Oral lichen planus (OLP is a T cell-mediated inflammatory autoimmune disease. Autophagy has emerged as a fundamental trafficking event in mediating T cell response, which plays crucial roles in innate and adaptive immunity. The present study mainly investigated the mRNA expression of autophagy-associated genes in peripheral blood T cells of OLP patients and evaluated correlations between their expression and the clinical features of OLP. Five differentially expressed autophagy-associated genes were identified by autophagy array. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR results confirmed that IGF1 expression in the peripheral blood T cells of OLP patients was significantly higher than that in controls, especially in female and middle-aged (30–50 years old OLP patients. In addition, ATG9B mRNA levels were significantly lower in nonerosive OLP patients. However, no significant differences were found in the expression of HGS, ESR1, and SNCA between OLP patients and controls. Taken together, dysregulation of T cell autophagy may be involved in immune response of OLP and may be correlated with clinical patterns.

Upregulation of autophagy-related gene-5 (ATG-5 is associated with chemoresistance in human gastric cancer.

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Jie Ge

Full Text Available Autophagy-related gene-5 (ATG-5 is one of the key regulators of autophagic cell death. It has been widely regarded as a protective molecular mechanism for tumor cells during the course of chemotherapy. In the present study, we investigated the expression pattern of ATG-5 and multidrug resistance-associated protein-1 (MRP-1 in 135 gastric cancers (GC patients who were treated with epirubicin, cisplatin and 5-FU adjuvant chemotherapy (ECF following surgical resection and explored their potential clinical significance. We found that both ATG-5 (77.78% and MRP-1 (79.26% were highly expressed in GC patients. ATG-5 expression was significantly associated with depth of wall invasion, TNM stages and distant metastasis of GC (P<0.05, whereas MRP-1 expression was significantly linked with tumor size, depth of wall invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stages and differentiation status (P<0.05. ATG-5 expression was positively correlated with MRP-1 (rp = 0.616, P<0.01. Increased expression of ATG-5 and MPR-1 was significantly correlated with poor overall survival (OS; P<0.01 and disease free survival (DFS; P<0.01 of our GC cohort. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ATG-5 was involved in drug resistant of GC cells, which was mainly through regulating autophagy. Our data suggest that upregulated expression of ATG-5, an important molecular feature of protective autophagy, is associated with chemoresistance in GC. Expression of ATG-5 and MRP-1 may be independent prognostic markers for GC treatment.

Globular adiponectin protects rat hepatocytes against acetaminophen-induced cell death via modulation of the inflammasome activation and ER stress: Critical role of autophagy induction.

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Kim, Eun Hye; Park, Pil-Hoon

2018-05-24

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose treatment causes severe liver injury. Adiponectin, a hormone predominantly produced by adipose tissue, exhibits protective effects against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. However, the underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood. In the present study, we examined the protective effect of globular adiponectin (gAcrp) on APAP-induced hepatocyte death and its underlying mechanisms. We found that APAP (2 mM)-induced hepatocyte death was prevented by inhibition of the inflammasome. In addition, treatment with gAcrp (0.5 and 1 μg/ml) inhibited APAP-induced activation of the inflammasome, judged by suppression of interleukin-1β maturation, caspase-1 activation, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) speck formation, suggesting that protective effects of gAcrp against APAP-induced hepatocyte death is mediated via modulation of the inflammasome. APAP also induced ER stress and treatment with tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), an ER chaperone and inhibitor of ER stress, abolished APAP-induced inflammasomes activation, implying that ER stress acts as signaling event leading to the inflammasome activation in hepatocytes stimulated with APAP. Moreover, gAcrp significantly suppressed APAP-induced expression of ER stress marker genes. Finally, the modulatory effects of gAcrp on ER stress and inflammasomes activation were abrogated by treatment with autophagy inhibitors, while an autophagy inducer (rapamycin) suppressed APAP-elicited ER stress, demonstrating that autophagy induction plays a crucial role in the suppression of APAP-induced inflammasome activation and ER stress by gAcrp. Taken together, these results indicate that gAcrp protects hepatocytes against APAP-induced cell death by modulating ER stress and the inflammasome activation, at least in part, via autophagy induction. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sirt3-Mediated Autophagy Contributes to Resveratrol-Induced Protection against ER Stress in HT22 Cells

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Wen-Jun Yan

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress occurring in stringent conditions is critically involved in neuronal survival and death. Resveratrol is a non-flavonoid polyphenol that has neuroprotective effects against many neurological disorders. Here, we investigated the potential protective effects of resveratrol in an in vitro ER stress model mimicked by tunicamycin (TM treatment in neuronal HT22 cells. We found that TM dose-dependently decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis, which were both significantly attenuated by resveratrol treatment. Resveratrol markedly reduced the expression or activation of ER stress-associated factors, including GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-12. The results of immunocytochemistry and western blot showed that resveratrol promoted autophagy in TM-treated cells, as evidenced by increased LC3II puncta number, bcelin1 expression and LC3II/LC3I ratio. Pretreatment with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine could reduce the protective effects of resveratrol. In addition, the expression of Sirt3 protein and its downstream enzyme activities were significantly increased in resveratrol-treated HT22 cells. To confirm the involvement of Sirt3-mediated mechanisms, siRNA transfection was used to knockdown Sirt3 expression in vitro. The results showed that downregulation of Sirt3 could partially prevented the autophagy and protection induced by resveratrol after TM treatment. Our study demonstrates a pivotal role of Sirt3-mediated autophagy in mediating resveratrol-induced protection against ER stress in vitro, and suggests the therapeutic values of resveratrol in ER stress-associated neuronal injury conditions.

Prohibitin 1 modulates mitochondrial stress-related autophagy in human colonic epithelial cells.

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Arwa S Kathiria

Full Text Available Autophagy is an adaptive response to extracellular and intracellular stress by which cytoplasmic components and organelles, including damaged mitochondria, are degraded to promote cell survival and restore cell homeostasis. Certain genes involved in autophagy confer susceptibility to Crohn's disease. Reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα, both of which are increased during active inflammatory bowel disease, promote cellular injury and autophagy via mitochondrial damage. Prohibitin (PHB, which plays a role in maintaining normal mitochondrial respiratory function, is decreased during active inflammatory bowel disease. Restoration of colonic epithelial PHB expression protects mice from experimental colitis and combats oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the potential role of PHB in modulating mitochondrial stress-related autophagy in intestinal epithelial cells.We measured autophagy activation in response to knockdown of PHB expression by RNA interference in Caco2-BBE and HCT116 WT and p53 null cells. The effect of exogenous PHB expression on TNFα- and IFNγ-induced autophagy was assessed. Autophagy was inhibited using Bafilomycin A(1 or siATG16L1 during PHB knockdown and the affect on intracellular oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell viability were determined. The requirement of intracellular ROS in siPHB-induced autophagy was assessed using the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine.TNFα and IFNγ-induced autophagy inversely correlated with PHB protein expression. Exogenous PHB expression reduced basal autophagy and TNFα-induced autophagy. Gene silencing of PHB in epithelial cells induces mitochondrial autophagy via increased intracellular ROS. Inhibition of autophagy during PHB knockdown exacerbates mitochondrial depolarization and reduces cell viability.Decreased PHB levels coupled with dysfunctional autophagy renders intestinal epithelial cells

Chronic Caffeine Treatment Protects Against α-Synucleinopathy by Reestablishing Autophagy Activity in the Mouse Striatum.

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Luan, Yanan; Ren, Xiangpeng; Zheng, Wu; Zeng, Zhenhai; Guo, Yingzi; Hou, Zhidong; Guo, Wei; Chen, Xingjun; Li, Fei; Chen, Jiang-Fan

2018-01-01

Despite converging epidemiological evidence for the inverse relationship of regular caffeine consumption and risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD) with animal studies demonstrating protective effect of caffeine in various neurotoxin models of PD, whether caffeine can protect against mutant α-synuclein (α-Syn) A53T-induced neurotoxicity in intact animals has not been examined. Here, we determined the effect of chronic caffeine treatment using the α-Syn fibril model of PD by intra-striatal injection of preformed A53T α-Syn fibrils. We demonstrated that chronic caffeine treatment blunted a cascade of pathological events leading to α-synucleinopathy, including pSer129α-Syn-rich aggregates, apoptotic neuronal cell death, microglia, and astroglia reactivation. Importantly, chronic caffeine treatment did not affect autophagy processes in the normal striatum, but selectively reversed α-Syn-induced defects in macroautophagy (by enhancing microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3, and reducing the receptor protein sequestosome 1, SQSTM1/p62) and chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA, by enhancing LAMP2A). These findings support that caffeine-a strongly protective environment factor as suggested by epidemiological evidence-may represent a novel pharmacological therapy for PD by targeting autophagy pathway.

β-Elemene-induced autophagy protects human gastric cancer cells from undergoing apoptosis

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Liu, Jing; Zhang, Ye; Qu, Jinglei; Xu, Ling; Hou, Kezuo; Zhang, Jingdong; Qu, Xiujuan; Liu, Yunpeng

2011-01-01

β-Elemene, a compound found in an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, has shown promising anti-cancer effects against a broad spectrum of tumors. The mechanism by which β-elemene kills cells remains unclear. The aim of the present study is to investigate the anti-tumor effect of β-elemene on human gastric cancer cells and the molecular mechanism involved. β-Elemene inhibited the viability of human gastric cancer MGC803 and SGC7901 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The suppression of cell viability was due to the induction of apoptosis. A robust autophagy was observed in the cells treated with β-elemene; it was characterized by the increase of punctate LC3 dots, the cellular morphology, and the increased levels of LC3-II protein. Further study showed that β-elemene treatment up-regulated Atg5-Atg12 conjugated protein but had little effect on other autophagy-related proteins. PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K1 activity was inhibited by β-elemene. Knockdown of Beclin 1 with small interfering RNA, or co-treatment with the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine or chlorochine enhanced significantly the antitumor effects of β-elemene. Our data provides the first evidence that β-elemene induces protective autophagy and prevents human gastric cancer cells from undergoing apoptosis. A combination of β-elemene with autophagy inhibitor might thus be a useful therapeutic option for advanced gastric cancer

DRAM1 Protects Neuroblastoma Cells from Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reperfusion-Induced Injury via Autophagy

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Mengqiang Yu

2014-10-01

Full Text Available DNA damage-regulated autophagy modulator protein 1 (DRAM1, a multi-pass membrane lysosomal protein, is reportedly a tumor protein p53 (TP53 target gene involved in autophagy. During cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R injury, DRAM1 protein expression is increased, and autophagy is activated. However, the functional significance of DRAM1 and the relationship between DRAM1 and autophagy in brain I/R remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to investigate whether DRAM1 mediates autophagy activation in cerebral I/R injury and to explore its possible effects and mechanisms. We adopt the oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R Neuro-2a cell model to mimic cerebral I/R conditions in vitro, and RNA interference is used to knock down DRAM1 expression in this model. Cell viability assay is performed using the LIVE/DEAD viability/cytotoxicity kit. Cell phenotypic changes are analyzed through Western blot assays. Autophagy flux is monitored through the tandem red fluorescent protein–Green fluorescent protein–microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (RFP–GFP–LC3 construct. The expression levels of DRAM1 and microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3II/I (LC3II/I are strongly up-regulated in Neuro-2a cells after OGD/R treatment and peaked at the 12 h reperfusion time point. The autophagy-specific inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA inhibits the expression of DRAM1 and LC3II/I and exacerbates OGD/R-induced cell injury. Furthermore, DRAM1 knockdown aggravates OGD/R-induced cell injury and significantly blocks autophagy through decreasing autophagosome-lysosome fusion. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that DRAM1 knockdown in Neuro-2a cells inhibits autophagy by blocking autophagosome-lysosome fusion and exacerbated OGD/R-induced cell injury. Thus, DRAM1 might constitute a new therapeutic target for I/R diseases.

Depletion of HPV16 early genes induces autophagy and senescence in a cervical carcinogenesis model, regardless of viral physical state.

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Hanning, Jennifer E; Saini, Harpreet K; Murray, Matthew J; Caffarel, Maria M; van Dongen, Stijn; Ward, Dawn; Barker, Emily M; Scarpini, Cinzia G; Groves, Ian J; Stanley, Margaret A; Enright, Anton J; Pett, Mark R; Coleman, Nicholas

2013-11-01

In cervical carcinomas, high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) may be integrated into host chromosomes or remain extra-chromosomal (episomal). We used the W12 cervical keratinocyte model to investigate the effects of HPV16 early gene depletion on in vitro cervical carcinogenesis pathways, particularly effects shared by cells with episomal versus integrated HPV16 DNA. Importantly, we were able to study the specific cellular consequences of viral gene depletion by using short interfering RNAs known not to cause phenotypic or transcriptional off-target effects in keratinocytes. We found that while cervical neoplastic progression in vitro was characterized by dynamic changes in HPV16 transcript levels, viral early gene expression was required for cell survival at all stages of carcinogenesis, regardless of viral physical state, levels of early gene expression or histology in organotypic tissue culture. Moreover, HPV16 early gene depletion induced changes in host gene expression that were common to both episome-containing and integrant-containing cells. In particular, we observed up-regulation of autophagy genes, associated with enrichment of senescence and innate immune-response pathways, including the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). In keeping with these observations, HPV16 early gene depletion induced autophagy in both episome-containing and integrant-containing W12 cells, as evidenced by the appearance of autophagosomes, punctate expression of the autophagy marker LC3, conversion of LC3B-I to LC3B-II, and reduced levels of the autophagy substrate p62. Consistent with the reported association between autophagy and senescence pathways, HPV16 early gene depletion induced expression of the senescence marker beta-galactosidase and increased secretion of the SASP-related protein IGFBP3. Together, these data indicate that depleting HR-HPV early genes would be of potential therapeutic benefit in all cervical carcinogenesis pathways, regardless of viral

Autophagy as a Molecular Target of Flavonoids Underlying their Protective Effects in Human Disease.

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Prieto-Domínguez, Nestor; Garcia-Mediavilla, Maria V; Sanchez-Campos, Sonia; Mauriz, Jose L; Gonzalez-Gallego, Javier

2018-01-01

Autophagy is a cellular pathway with the ability to maintain cell homeostasis through the elimination of damaged or useless cellular components, and its deregulation may initiate or aggravate different human diseases. Flavonoids, a group of plant metabolites, are able to modulate different molecular and cellular processes including autophagy. To review the effects of flavonoids on autophagy pathway in both invasive and noninvasive human diseases, focusing on the global outcomes in their progression. Moreover, the efficacy of the combination of flavonoids with drugs or other natural nontoxic compounds was also reviewed. A literature search was performed to identify and analyze peer-reviewed publications containing in vitro and in vivo studies focused on autophagy deregulation in different proliferative and non-proliferative pathologies and the potential protective effects of flavonoids. Analyzed publications indicated that imbalance between cell death and survival induced by changes in autophagy play an important role in the pathophysiology of a number of human diseases. The use of different flavonoids as autophagy modulators, alone or in combination with other molecules, might be a worthy strategy in the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, hepatic diseases, leishmaniasis, influenza, gastric ulcers produced by Helicobacter pylori infection, diabetes, asthma, age-related macular degeneration or osteoporosis. Flavonoids could potentially constitute important adjuvant agents of conventional therapies in the treatment of autophagy deregulation-related diseases. Moreover, combined therapy may help to diminish the doses of those conventional treatments, leading to reduced drug-derivative side effects and to improved patients' survival. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Genome-wide analysis of autophagy-related genes in banana highlights MaATG8s in cell death and autophagy in immune response to Fusarium wilt.

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Wei, Yunxie; Liu, Wen; Hu, Wei; Liu, Guoyin; Wu, Chunjie; Liu, Wei; Zeng, Hongqiu; He, Chaozu; Shi, Haitao

2017-08-01

MaATG8s play important roles in hypersensitive-like cell death and immune response, and autophagy is essential for disease resistance against Foc in banana. Autophagy is responsible for the degradation of damaged cytoplasmic constituents in the lysosomes or vacuoles. Although the effects of autophagy have been extensively revealed in model plants, the possible roles of autophagy-related gene in banana remain unknown. In this study, 32 MaATGs were identified in the draft genome, and the profiles of several MaATGs in response to fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) were also revealled. We found that seven MaATG8s were commonly regulated by Foc. Through transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, we highlight the novel roles of MaATG8s in conferring hypersensitive-like cell death, and MaATG8s-mediated hypersensitive response-like cell death is dependent on autophagy. Notablly, autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) treatment resulted in decreased disease resistance in response to Foc4, and the effect of 3-MA treatment could be rescued by exogenous salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene, indicating the involvement of autophagy-mediated plant hormones in banana resistance to Fusarium wilt. Taken together, this study may extend our understanding the putative role of MaATG8s in hypersensitive-like cell death and the essential role of autophagy in immune response against Foc in banana.

A novel mTOR activating protein protects dopamine neurons against oxidative stress by repressing autophagy related cell death.

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Choi, Kyou-Chan; Kim, Shin-Hee; Ha, Ji-Young; Kim, Sang-Tae; Son, Jin H

2010-01-01

Our previous microarray analysis identified a neuroprotective protein Oxi-alpha, that was down-regulated during oxidative stress (OS)-induced cell death in dopamine neurons [Neurochem. Res. (2004) vol. 29, pp. 1223]. Here we find that the phylogenetically conserved Oxi-alpha protects against OS by a novel mechanism: activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase and subsequent repression of autophagic vacuole accumulation and cell death. To the best of our knowledge, Oxi-alpha is the first molecule discovered in dopamine neurons, which activates mTOR kinase. Indeed, the down-regulation of Oxi-alpha by OS suppresses the activation of mTOR kinase. The pathogenic effect of down-regulated Oxi-alpha was confirmed by gene-specific knockdown experiment, which resulted in not only the repression of mTOR kinase and the subsequent phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase and 4E-BP1, but also enhanced susceptibility to OS. In accordance with these observations, treatment with rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor and autophagy inducer, potentiated OS-induced cell death, while similar treatment with an autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine protected the dopamine cells. Our findings present evidence for the presence of a novel class of molecule involved in autophagic cell death triggered by OS in dopamine neurons.

Repetitive stimulation of autophagy-lysosome machinery by intermittent fasting preconditions the myocardium to ischemia-reperfusion injury.

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Godar, Rebecca J; Ma, Xiucui; Liu, Haiyan; Murphy, John T; Weinheimer, Carla J; Kovacs, Attila; Crosby, Seth D; Saftig, Paul; Diwan, Abhinav

2015-01-01

Autophagy, a lysosomal degradative pathway, is potently stimulated in the myocardium by fasting and is essential for maintaining cardiac function during prolonged starvation. We tested the hypothesis that intermittent fasting protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via transcriptional stimulation of the autophagy-lysosome machinery. Adult C57BL/6 mice subjected to 24-h periods of fasting, every other day, for 6 wk were protected from in-vivo ischemia-reperfusion injury on a fed day, with marked reduction in infarct size in both sexes as compared with nonfasted controls. This protection was lost in mice heterozygous null for Lamp2 (coding for lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2), which demonstrate impaired autophagy in response to fasting with accumulation of autophagosomes and SQSTM1, an autophagy substrate, in the heart. In lamp2 null mice, intermittent fasting provoked progressive left ventricular dilation, systolic dysfunction and hypertrophy; worsening cardiomyocyte autophagosome accumulation and lack of protection to ischemia-reperfusion injury, suggesting that intact autophagy-lysosome machinery is essential for myocardial homeostasis during intermittent fasting and consequent ischemic cardioprotection. Fasting and refeeding cycles resulted in transcriptional induction followed by downregulation of autophagy-lysosome genes in the myocardium. This was coupled with fasting-induced nuclear translocation of TFEB (transcription factor EB), a master regulator of autophagy-lysosome machinery; followed by rapid decline in nuclear TFEB levels with refeeding. Endogenous TFEB was essential for attenuation of hypoxia-reoxygenation-induced cell death by repetitive starvation, in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, in-vitro. Taken together, these data suggest that TFEB-mediated transcriptional priming of the autophagy-lysosome machinery mediates the beneficial effects of fasting-induced autophagy in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Repetitive stimulation of autophagy-lysosome machinery by intermittent fasting preconditions the myocardium to ischemia-reperfusion injury

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Godar, Rebecca J; Ma, Xiucui; Liu, Haiyan; Murphy, John T; Weinheimer, Carla J; Kovacs, Attila; Crosby, Seth D; Saftig, Paul; Diwan, Abhinav

2015-01-01

Autophagy, a lysosomal degradative pathway, is potently stimulated in the myocardium by fasting and is essential for maintaining cardiac function during prolonged starvation. We tested the hypothesis that intermittent fasting protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via transcriptional stimulation of the autophagy-lysosome machinery. Adult C57BL/6 mice subjected to 24-h periods of fasting, every other day, for 6 wk were protected from in-vivo ischemia-reperfusion injury on a fed day, with marked reduction in infarct size in both sexes as compared with nonfasted controls. This protection was lost in mice heterozygous null for Lamp2 (coding for lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2), which demonstrate impaired autophagy in response to fasting with accumulation of autophagosomes and SQSTM1, an autophagy substrate, in the heart. In lamp2 null mice, intermittent fasting provoked progressive left ventricular dilation, systolic dysfunction and hypertrophy; worsening cardiomyocyte autophagosome accumulation and lack of protection to ischemia-reperfusion injury, suggesting that intact autophagy-lysosome machinery is essential for myocardial homeostasis during intermittent fasting and consequent ischemic cardioprotection. Fasting and refeeding cycles resulted in transcriptional induction followed by downregulation of autophagy-lysosome genes in the myocardium. This was coupled with fasting-induced nuclear translocation of TFEB (transcription factor EB), a master regulator of autophagy-lysosome machinery; followed by rapid decline in nuclear TFEB levels with refeeding. Endogenous TFEB was essential for attenuation of hypoxia-reoxygenation-induced cell death by repetitive starvation, in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, in-vitro. Taken together, these data suggest that TFEB-mediated transcriptional priming of the autophagy-lysosome machinery mediates the beneficial effects of fasting-induced autophagy in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. PMID:26103523

Sinomenine Hydrochloride Protects against Polymicrobial Sepsis via Autophagy

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Yu Jiang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to infection, is the major cause of death in intensive care units (ICUs. The mortality rate of sepsis remains high even though the treatment and understanding of sepsis both continue to improve. Sinomenine (SIN is a natural alkaloid extracted from Chinese medicinal plant Sinomenium acutum, and its hydrochloride salt (Sinomenine hydrochloride, SIN-HCl is widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA. However, its role in sepsis remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of SIN-HCl in sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP in BALB/c mice and the corresponding mechanism. SIN-HCl treatment improved the survival of BALB/c mice that were subjected to CLP and reduced multiple organ dysfunction and the release of systemic inflammatory mediators. Autophagy activities were examined using Western blotting. The results showed that CLP-induced autophagy was elevated, and SIN-HCl treatment further strengthened the autophagy activity. Autophagy blocker 3-methyladenine (3-MA was used to investigate the mechanism of SIN-HCl in vitro. Autophagy activities were determined by examining the autophagosome formation, which was shown as microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3 puncta with green immunofluorescence. SIN-HCl reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine release and increased autophagy in peritoneal macrophages (PM. 3-MA significantly decreased autophagosome formation induced by LPS and SIN-HCl. The decrease of inflammatory cytokines caused by SIN-HCl was partially aggravated by 3-MA treatment. Taken together, our results indicated that SIN-HCl could improve survival, reduce organ damage, and attenuate the release of inflammatory cytokines induced by CLP, at least in part through regulating autophagy activities.

Immunologic manifestations of autophagy

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Deretic, Vojo; Kimura, Tomonori; Timmins, Graham

2015-01-01

The broad immunologic roles of autophagy span innate and adaptive immunity and are often manifested in inflammatory diseases. The immune effects of autophagy partially overlap with its roles in metabolism and cytoplasmic quality control but typically expand further afield to encompass unique...... immunologic adaptations. One of the best-appreciated manifestations of autophagy is protection against microbial invasion, but this is by no means limited to direct elimination of intracellular pathogens and includes a stratified array of nearly all principal immunologic processes. This Review summarizes...... the broad immunologic roles of autophagy. Furthermore, it uses the autophagic control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a paradigm to illustrate the breadth and complexity of the immune effects of autophagy....

Feedback regulation between autophagy and PKA.

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Torres-Quiroz, Francisco; Filteau, Marie; Landry, Christian R

2015-01-01

Protein kinase A (PKA) controls diverse cellular processes and homeostasis in eukaryotic cells. Many processes and substrates of PKA have been described and among them are direct regulators of autophagy. The mechanisms of PKA regulation and how they relate to autophagy remain to be fully understood. We constructed a reporter of PKA activity in yeast to identify genes affecting PKA regulation. The assay systematically measures relative protein-protein interactions between the regulatory and catalytic subunits of the PKA complex in a systematic set of genetic backgrounds. The candidate PKA regulators we identified span multiple processes and molecular functions (autophagy, methionine biosynthesis, TORC signaling, protein acetylation, and DNA repair), which themselves include processes regulated by PKA. These observations suggest the presence of many feedback loops acting through this key regulator. Many of the candidate regulators include genes involved in autophagy, suggesting that not only does PKA regulate autophagy but that autophagy also sends signals back to PKA.

The Protective Effects of Κ-Opioid Receptor Stimulation in Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension Involve Inhibition of Autophagy Through the AMPK-MTOR Pathway

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Yaguang Zhou

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: In a previous study, we showed that κ-opioid receptor stimulation with the selective agonist U50,488H ameliorated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH. However, the roles that pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy play in κ-opioid receptor-mediated protection against HPH are still unknown. The goal of the present study was to investigate the role of autophagy in U50,488H-induced HPH protection and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Rats were exposed to 10% oxygen for three weeks to induce HPH. After hypoxia, the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP and the right ventricular pressure (RVP were measured. Cell viability was monitored using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and Western blot. Autophagy was assessed by means of the mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenovirus transfection assay and by Western blot. Results: Inhibition of autophagy by the administration of chloroquine prevented the development of HPH in the rat model, as evidenced by significantly reduced mPAP and RVP, as well as decreased autophagy. U50,488H mimicked the effects of chloroquine, and the effects of U50,488H were blocked by nor-BNI, a selective κ-opioid receptor antagonist. In vitro experiments showed that the inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine was associated with decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of PASMCs. Under hypoxia, U50,488H also significantly inhibited autophagy, reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis of PASMCs. These effects of U50,488H were blocked by nor-BNI. Moreover, exposure to hypoxic conditions significantly increased AMPK phosphorylation and reduced mTOR phosphorylation, and these effects were abrogated by U50,488H. The effects of U50,488H on PASMC autophagy were inhibited by AICAR, a selective AMPK agonist, or by rapamycin, a selective mTOR inhibitor. Conclusion: Our data provide evidence for the first time that κ-opioid receptor

Autophagy in Inflammatory Diseases

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Alexander J. S. Choi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Autophagy provides a mechanism for the turnover of cellular organelles and proteins through a lysosome-dependent degradation pathway. During starvation, autophagy exerts a homeostatic function that promotes cell survival by recycling metabolic precursors. Additionally, autophagy can interact with other vital processes such as programmed cell death, inflammation, and adaptive immune mechanisms, and thereby potentially influence disease pathogenesis. Macrophages deficient in autophagic proteins display enhanced caspase-1-dependent proinflammatory cytokine production and the activation of the inflammasome. Autophagy provides a functional role in infectious diseases and sepsis by promoting intracellular bacterial clearance. Mutations in autophagy-related genes, leading to loss of autophagic function, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Furthermore, autophagy-dependent mechanisms have been proposed in the pathogenesis of several pulmonary diseases that involve inflammation, including cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. Strategies aimed at modulating autophagy may lead to therapeutic interventions for diseases associated with inflammation.

In vivo effect of an antilipolytic drug (3,5'-dimethylpyrazole) on autophagic proteolysis and autophagy-related gene expression in rat liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donati, Alessio; Ventruti, Annamaria; Cavallini, Gabriella; Masini, Matilde; Vittorini, Simona; Chantret, Isabelle; Codogno, Patrice; Bergamini, Ettore

2008-01-01

Autophagy is an intracellular pathway induced by starvation, inhibited by nutrients, that is responsible for degradation of long-lived proteins and altered cell organelles. This process is involved in cell maintenance could be induced by antilipolytic drugs and may have anti-aging effects [A. Donati, The involvement of macroautophagy in aging and anti-aging interventions, Mol. Aspects Med. 27 (2006) 455-470]. We analyzed the effect of an intraperitoneal injection of an antilipolytic agent (3,5'-dimethylpyrazole, DMP, 12 mg/kg b.w.), that mimics nutrient shortage on autophagy and expression of autophagic genes in the liver of male 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley albino rats. Autophagy was evaluated by observing electron micrographs of the liver autophagosomal compartment and by monitoring protein degradation assessed by the release of valine into the bloodstream. LC3 gene expression, whose product is one of the best known markers of autophagy, was also monitored. As expected, DMP decreased the plasma levels of free fatty acids, glucose, and insulin and increased autophagic vacuoles and proteolysis. DMP treatment caused an increase in the expression of the LC3 gene although this occurred later than the induction of authophagic proteolysis caused by DMP. Glucose treatment rescued the effects caused by DMP on glucose and insulin plasma levels and negatively affected the rate of autophagic proteolysis, but did not suppress the positive regulatory effect on LC3 mRNA levels. In conclusion, antilipolytic drugs may induce both autophagic proteolysis and higher expression of an autophagy-related gene and the effect on autophagy gene expression might not be secondary to the stimulation of autophagic proteolysis

Hydrogen sulfide lowers proliferation and induces protective autophagy in colon epithelial cells.

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Ya C Wu

Full Text Available Hydrogen sulfide (H(2S is a gaseous bacterial metabolite that reaches high levels in the large intestine. In the present study, the effect of H(2S on the proliferation of normal and cancerous colon epithelial cells was investigated. An immortalized colon epithelial cell line (YAMC and a panel of colon cancer cell lines (HT-29, SW1116, HCT116 were exposed to H(2S at concentrations similar to those found in the human colon. H(2S inhibited normal and cancerous colon epithelial cell proliferation as measured by MTT assay. The anti-mitogenic effect of H(2S was accompanied by G(1-phase cell cycle arrest and the induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(Cip. Moreover, exposure to H(2S led to features characteristic of autophagy, including increased formation of LC3B(+ autophagic vacuoles and acidic vesicular organelles as determined by immunofluorescence and acridine orange staining, respectively. Abolition of autophagy by RNA interference targeting Vps34 or Atg7 enhanced the anti-proliferative effect of H(2S. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that H(2S stimulated the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK and inhibited the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR and S6 kinase. Inhibition of AMPK significantly reversed H(2S-induced autophagy and inhibition of cell proliferation. Collectively, we demonstrate that H(2S inhibits colon epithelial cell proliferation and induces protective autophagy via the AMPK pathway.

Heme oxygenase-1-mediated autophagy protects against pulmonary endothelial cell death and development of emphysema in cadmium-treated mice

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Surolia, Ranu; Karki, Suman; Kim, Hyunki; Yu, Zhihong; Kulkarni, Tejaswini; Mirov, Sergey B.; Carter, A. Brent; Rowe, Steven M.; Matalon, Sadis; Thannickal, Victor J.; Agarwal, Anupam

2015-01-01

Pulmonary exposure to cadmium, a major component of cigarette smoke, has a dramatic impact on lung function and the development of emphysema. Cigarette smoke exposure induces heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a cytoprotective enzyme. In this study, we employed a truncated mouse model of emphysema by intratracheal instillation of cadmium (CdCl2) solution (0.025% per 1 mg/kg body wt) in HO-1+/+, HO-1−/−, and overexpressing humanized HO-1 bacterial artificial chromosome (hHO-1BAC) mice. We evaluated the role of HO-1 in cadmium-induced emphysema in mice by analyzing histopathology, micro-computed tomography scans, and lung function tests. CdCl2-exposed HO-1−/− mice exhibited more severe emphysema compared with HO-1+/+ or hHO-1BAC mice. Loss of pulmonary endothelial cells (PECs) from the alveolar capillary membrane is recognized to be a target in emphysema. PECs from HO-1+/+, HO-1−/−, and hHO-1BAC were employed to define the underlying molecular mechanism for the protection from emphysema by HO-1. Electron microscopy, expression of autophagic markers (microtubule-associated protein 1B-light chain 3 II, autophagy protein 5, and Beclin1) and apoptotic marker (cleaved caspase 3) suggested induction of autophagy and apoptosis in PECs after CdCl2 treatment. CdCl2-treated HO-1−/− PECs exhibited downregulation of autophagic markers and significantly increased cleaved caspase 3 expression and activity (∼4-fold higher). Moreover, hHO-1BAC PECs demonstrated upregulated autophagy and absence of cleaved caspase 3 expression or activity. Pretreatment of HO-1+/+ PECs with rapamycin induced autophagy and resulted in reduced cell death upon cadmium treatment. Induction of autophagy following CdCl2 treatment was found to be protective from apoptotic cell death. HO-1 induced protective autophagy in PECs and mitigated cadmium-induced emphysema. PMID:26071551

Heme oxygenase-1-mediated autophagy protects against pulmonary endothelial cell death and development of emphysema in cadmium-treated mice.

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Surolia, Ranu; Karki, Suman; Kim, Hyunki; Yu, Zhihong; Kulkarni, Tejaswini; Mirov, Sergey B; Carter, A Brent; Rowe, Steven M; Matalon, Sadis; Thannickal, Victor J; Agarwal, Anupam; Antony, Veena B

2015-08-01

Pulmonary exposure to cadmium, a major component of cigarette smoke, has a dramatic impact on lung function and the development of emphysema. Cigarette smoke exposure induces heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a cytoprotective enzyme. In this study, we employed a truncated mouse model of emphysema by intratracheal instillation of cadmium (CdCl2) solution (0.025% per 1 mg/kg body wt) in HO-1(+/+), HO-1(-/-), and overexpressing humanized HO-1 bacterial artificial chromosome (hHO-1BAC) mice. We evaluated the role of HO-1 in cadmium-induced emphysema in mice by analyzing histopathology, micro-computed tomography scans, and lung function tests. CdCl2-exposed HO-1(-/-) mice exhibited more severe emphysema compared with HO-1(+/+) or hHO-1BAC mice. Loss of pulmonary endothelial cells (PECs) from the alveolar capillary membrane is recognized to be a target in emphysema. PECs from HO-1(+/+), HO-1(-/-), and hHO-1BAC were employed to define the underlying molecular mechanism for the protection from emphysema by HO-1. Electron microscopy, expression of autophagic markers (microtubule-associated protein 1B-light chain 3 II, autophagy protein 5, and Beclin1) and apoptotic marker (cleaved caspase 3) suggested induction of autophagy and apoptosis in PECs after CdCl2 treatment. CdCl2-treated HO-1(-/-) PECs exhibited downregulation of autophagic markers and significantly increased cleaved caspase 3 expression and activity (∼4-fold higher). Moreover, hHO-1BAC PECs demonstrated upregulated autophagy and absence of cleaved caspase 3 expression or activity. Pretreatment of HO-1(+/+) PECs with rapamycin induced autophagy and resulted in reduced cell death upon cadmium treatment. Induction of autophagy following CdCl2 treatment was found to be protective from apoptotic cell death. HO-1 induced protective autophagy in PECs and mitigated cadmium-induced emphysema. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Curcumin induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells through iron chelation

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Yang C

2017-02-01

.Conclusion: Together, our results indicate that curcumin induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in CRPC cells, which are at least partially dependent on its iron-chelating properties. Keywords: curcumin, castration-resistant prostate cancer, apoptosis, autophagy, iron chelation

SIRT1 protects cardiac cells against apoptosis induced by zearalenone or its metabolites α- and β-zearalenol through an autophagy-dependent pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben Salem, Intidhar; Boussabbeh, Manel; Da Silva, Julie Pires; Guilbert, Arnaud; Bacha, Hassen; Abid-Essefi, Salwa; Lemaire, Christophe

2017-01-01

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by several species of Fusarium in cereals and agricultural products. The major ZEN metabolites are α-zearalenol (α-ZOL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZOL). In the present study, we investigated the underlying mechanism of the toxicity induced by ZEN, α-ZOL and β-ZOL in cardiac cells (H9c2). We show that treatment with ZEN or its metabolites induces the activation of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis as characterized by an increase in ROS generation, a loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) and an activation of caspases. Besides, we demonstrate that these mycotoxins promote the activation of autophagy before the onset of apoptosis. Indeed, we observed that a short-time (6 h) treatment with ZEN, α-ZOL or β-ZOL, increased the level of Beclin-1 and LC3-II and induced the accumulation of the CytoID® autophagy detection probe. Moreover, the inhibition of autophagy by Chloroquine significantly increased cell death induced by ZEN, α-ZOL or β-ZOL, suggesting that the activation of autophagy serves as a cardioprotective mechanism against these mycotoxins. In addition, we found that the inhibition (EX527) or the knockdown of SIRT1 (siRNA) significantly increased apoptosis induced by ZEN or its derivatives, whereas SIRT1 activation with RSV greatly prevents the cytotoxic effects of these mycotoxins. By contrast, when autophagy was inhibited by CQ, the activation of SIRT1 by RSV had no protection against the cardiotoxicity of ZEN or its metabolites, suggesting that SIRT1 protects cardiac cells by an autophagy-dependent pathway. - Highlights: • ZEN, α- and β-ZOL induce the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in cardiac cells. • Inhibition of autophagy enhanced ZEN-, α-ZOL- and β-ZOL-induced apoptosis. • SIRT1 activates autophagy to protect cells from ZEN, α- and β-ZOL-induced toxicity.

Autophagy Protects from Trastuzumab-Induced Cytotoxicity in HER2 Overexpressing Breast Tumor Spheroids.

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Cristina E Rodríguez

Full Text Available Multicellular tumor spheroids represent a 3D in vitro model that mimics solid tumor essential properties including assembly and development of extracellular matrix and nutrient, oxygen and proliferation gradients. In the present study, we analyze the impact of 3D spatial organization of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells on the response to Trastuzumab. We cultured human mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines as spheroids with the hanging drop method and we observed a gradient of proliferating, quiescent, hypoxic, apoptotic and autophagic cells towards the inner core. This 3D organization decreased Trastuzumab sensitivity of HER2 over-expressing cells compared to monolayer cell cultures. We did not observe apoptosis induced by Trastuzumab but found cell arrest in G0/G1 phase. Moreover, the treatment downregulated the basal apoptosis only found in tumor spheroids, by eliciting protective autophagy. We were able to increase sensitivity to Trastuzumab by autophagy inhibition, thus exposing the interaction between apoptosis and autophagy. We confirmed this result by developing a resistant cell line that was more sensitive to autophagy inhibition than the parental BT474 cells. In summary, the development of Trastuzumab resistance relies on the balance between death and survival mechanisms, characteristic of 3D cell organization. We propose the use of spheroids to further improve the understanding of Trastuzumab antitumor activity and overcome resistance.

Characterization of an Autophagy-related Gene MdATG8i from apple

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Ping eWang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Nutrient deficiencies restrict apple (Malus sp. tree growth and productivity in Northwest China. The process of autophagy, a conserved degradation pathway in eukaryotic cells, has important roles in nutrient-recycling and helps improve plant performance during periods of nutrient-starvation. Little is known about the functioning of autophagy-related genes (ATGs in apple. In this study, one of the ATG8 gene family members MdATG8i was isolated from M. domestica. MdATG8i has conserved putative tubulin binding sites and ATG7 interaction domains. A 1865-bp promoter region cloned from apple genome DNA was predicated to have cis-regulatory elements responsive to light, environmental stresses and hormones. MdATG8i transcriptions were induced in response to leaf senescence, nitrogen depletion, and oxidative stress. At cellular level, MdATG8i protein was expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of onion epidermal cells. Yeast two-hybrid tests showed that MdATG8i could interact with MdATG7a and MdATG7b. In Arabidopsis, its heterologous expression was associated with enhanced vegetative growth, leaf senescence, and tolerance to nitrogen- and carbon-starvation. MdATG8i-overexpressing ‘Orin’ apple callus lines also displayed improved tolerance to nutrient-limited conditions. Our results demonstrate that MdATG8i protein could function in autophagy in a conserved way, as a positive regulator in the response to nutrient-starvation.

GLP-1 Treatment Improves Diabetic Retinopathy by Alleviating Autophagy through GLP-1R-ERK1/2-HDAC6 Signaling Pathway.

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Cai, Xiangsheng; Li, Jingjing; Wang, Mingzhu; She, Miaoqin; Tang, Yongming; Li, Jinlong; Li, Hongwei; Hui, Hongxiang

2017-01-01

Objective: Apoptosis and autophagy of retinal cells, which may be induced by oxidative stress, are tightly associated with the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The autophagy induced by oxidative stress is considered as excessively stimulated autophagy, which accelerates the progression of DR. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of GLP-1 treatment on alleviating apoptosis and autophagy of retinal cells in type 2 diabetic rats and reveals its possible mechanism. Methods: Type 2 diabetic rats were induced by fed with high sugar, high fat diet and followed with streptozotocin injection. GLP-1 was applied to treat the diabetic rats for one week after the onset of diabetes. The expressions of oxidative stress-related enzymes, retinal GLP-1R, mitochondria-dependent apoptosis- related genes, autophagy markers, and autophagy-associated pathway genes were studied by Western blotting or immunohistochemistry analysis. Results: GLP-1treatment reduced the levels of NOX3 and SOD2 in DR. The expression of BCL2 was increased, while the levels of caspase3 and LC3B were reduced through GLP-1 treatment in DR . GLP-1 treatment restored the GLP-1R expression and decreased the levels of phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated ERK1/2, which was accompanied with the reduction of the HDAC6 levels in DR. Conclusions: GLP-1 treatment can alleviate autophagy which may be induced by oxidative stress; this protective effect is likely through GLP-1R-ERK1/2-HDAC6 signaling pathway.

Isodeoxyelephantopin induces protective autophagy in lung cancer cells via Nrf2-p62-keap1 feedback loop

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Wang, Yang; Zhang, Jing; Huang, Zhi-Hao; Huang, Xiao-Hui; Zheng, Wei-Bin; Yin, Xing-Feng; Li, Yao-Lan; Li, Bin; He, Qing-Yu

2017-01-01

Isodeoxyelephantopin (ESI), isolated from Elephantopus scaber L. has been reported to exert anticancer effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether and how cancer cells exert protective responses against ESI treatment. Confocal fluorescence microscopy showed that ESI significantly induced autophagy flux in the lung cancer cells expressing mCherry-EGFP-LC3 reporter. Treatment of the cells with ESI increased the expression levels of the autophagy markers including LC3-II, ATG3 and Be...

Autophagy protects against neural cell death induced by piperidine alkaloids present in Prosopis juliflora (Mesquite).

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Silva, Victor D A; Cuevas, Carlos; Muñoz, Patricia; Villa, Monica; Ahumada-Castro, Ulises; Huenchuguala, Sandro; Santos, Cleonice C Dos; Araujo, Fillipe M DE; Ferreira, Rafael S; Silva, Vanessa B DA; Silva, Juliana H C E; Soares, Érica N; Velozo, Eudes S; Segura-Aguilar, Juan; Costa, Silvia L

2017-01-01

Prosopis juliflora is a shrub that has been used to feed animals and humans. However, a synergistic action of piperidine alkaloids has been suggested to be responsible for neurotoxic damage observed in animals. We investigated the involvement of programmed cell death (PCD) and autophagy on the mechanism of cell death induced by a total extract (TAE) of alkaloids and fraction (F32) from P. juliflora leaves composed majoritary of juliprosopine in a model of neuron/glial cell co-culture. We saw that TAE (30 µg/mL) and F32 (7.5 µg/mL) induced reduction in ATP levels and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential at 12 h exposure. Moreover, TAE and F32 induced caspase-9 activation, nuclear condensation and neuronal death at 16 h exposure. After 4 h, they induced autophagy characterized by decreases of P62 protein level, increase of LC3II expression and increase in number of GFP-LC3 cells. Interestingly, we demonstrated that inhibition of autophagy by bafilomycin and vinblastine increased the cell death induced by TAE and autophagy induced by serum deprivation and rapamycin reduced cell death induced by F32 at 24 h. These results indicate that the mechanism neural cell death induced by these alkaloids involves PCD via caspase-9 activation and autophagy, which seems to be an important protective mechanism.

Autophagy protects against neural cell death induced by piperidine alkaloids present in Prosopis juliflora (Mesquite

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VICTOR D.A. SILVA

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Prosopis juliflora is a shrub that has been used to feed animals and humans. However, a synergistic action of piperidine alkaloids has been suggested to be responsible for neurotoxic damage observed in animals. We investigated the involvement of programmed cell death (PCD and autophagy on the mechanism of cell death induced by a total extract (TAE of alkaloids and fraction (F32 from P. juliflora leaves composed majoritary of juliprosopine in a model of neuron/glial cell co-culture. We saw that TAE (30 µg/mL and F32 (7.5 µg/mL induced reduction in ATP levels and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential at 12 h exposure. Moreover, TAE and F32 induced caspase-9 activation, nuclear condensation and neuronal death at 16 h exposure. After 4 h, they induced autophagy characterized by decreases of P62 protein level, increase of LC3II expression and increase in number of GFP-LC3 cells. Interestingly, we demonstrated that inhibition of autophagy by bafilomycin and vinblastine increased the cell death induced by TAE and autophagy induced by serum deprivation and rapamycin reduced cell death induced by F32 at 24 h. These results indicate that the mechanism neural cell death induced by these alkaloids involves PCD via caspase-9 activation and autophagy, which seems to be an important protective mechanism.

C2-Ceramide Induces Cell Death and Protective Autophagy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

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Wenyuan Zhu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Ceramides are second messengers involved in several intracellular processes in cancer cells, amongst others. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of C2-ceramide (C2-Cer; N-acetyl-D-sphingosine by investigating cell death and autophagy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC cells. C2-Cer showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in HN4 and HN30 cell lines. It simultaneously induced caspase-3-independent apoptosis and programmed necrosis. C2-Cer markedly increased the expression level of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B type II associated with protective autophagy. An autophagy inhibitor enhanced C2-Cer-mediated cytotoxicity, while a programmed-necrosis inhibitor produced the opposite effect. Furthermore, C2-Cer up-regulated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, but down-regulated its downstream substrate phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR during the autophagy process. These results suggested that C2-Cer exerts anti-tumor effects by inducing programmed apoptosis and necrosis in HNSCC, and these cytotoxic effects are enhanced by an autophagy inhibitor.

N-Acetyl Cysteine Protects against Methamphetamine-Induced Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration via Modulation of Redox Status and Autophagy in Dopaminergic Cells

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Prashanth Chandramani Shivalingappa

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Methamphetamine- (MA- induced neurotoxicity is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and enhanced oxidative stress. Our previous study demonstrated that MA induces autophagy in a dopaminergic neuronal cell model (N27 cells. The cellular mechanisms underlying MA-induced autophagy and apoptosis remain poorly characterized. In the present study we sought to investigate the importance of GSH redox status in MA-induced neurotoxicity using a thiol antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC. Morphological and biochemical analysis revealed that MA-induced autophagy in N27 dopaminergic cells was associated with pronounced depletion of GSH levels. Moreover, pretreatment with NAC reduced MA-induced GSH depletion and autophagy, while depletion of GSH using L-buthionine sulfoximine (L-BSO enhanced autophagy. Furthermore, treatment with NAC significantly attenuated MA-induced apoptotic cell death as well as oxidative stress markers, namely, 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE. Together, these results suggest that NAC exhibits significant protective effects against MA-induced dopaminergic cell death, presumably via modulation of the GSH level and autophagy. Collectively, our data provide mechanistic insights into the role of cellular GSH redox status in MA-induced autophagy and apoptotic cell death, and additional studies are needed to determine the therapeutic effectiveness of cellular redox modifiers in attenuating dopaminergic neurodegeneration in vivo.

Atorvastatin Protects Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From TGF-β1-Stimulated Calcification by Inducing Autophagy via Suppression of the β-Catenin Pathway

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Demin Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Arterial calcification is a major event in the progression of atherosclerosis. It is reported that statins exhibit various protective effects against vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC inflammation and proliferation in cardiovascular remodeling. Although statins counteract atherosclerosis, the molecular mechanisms of statins on the calcium release from VSMCs have not been clearly elucidated. Methods: Calcium content of VSMCs was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. The expression of proteins involved in cellular transdifferentiation was analyzed by western blot. Cell autophagy was measured by fluorescence microscopic analysis for acridine orange staining and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The autophagic inhibitors (3-MA, chloroquine, NH4Cl and bafilomycin A1 and β-catenin inhibitor JW74 were used to assess the effects of atorvastatin on autophagy and the involvement of β-catenin on cell calcification respectively. Furthermore, cell transfection was performed to overexpress β-catenin. Results: In VSMCs, atorvastatin significantly suppressed transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1-stimulated calcification, accompanied by the induction of autophagy. Downregulation of autophagy with autophagic inhibitors significantly suppressed the inhibitory effect of atorvastatin on cell calcification. Moreover, the beneficial effect of atorvastatin on calcification and autophagy was reversed by β-catenin overexpression. Conversely, JW74 supplement enhanced this effect. Conclusion: These data demonstrated that atorvastatin protect VSMC from TGF-β1-stimulated calcification by inducing autophagy through suppression of the β-catenin pathway, identifying autophagy induction might be a therapeutic strategy for use in vascular calcification.

Autophagy and gap junctional intercellular communication inhibition are involved in cadmium-induced apoptosis in rat liver cells

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Zou, Hui [College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009 (China); Zhuo, Liling [College of Life Science, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, Shandong, 277160 (China); Han, Tao; Hu, Di; Yang, Xiaokang; Wang, Yi; Yuan, Yan; Gu, Jianhong; Bian, Jianchun; Liu, Xuezhong [College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009 (China); Liu, Zongping, E-mail: liuzongping@yzu.edu.cn [College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009 (China)

2015-04-17

Cadmium (Cd) is known to induce hepatotoxicity, yet the underlying mechanism of how this occurs is not fully understood. In this study, Cd-induced apoptosis was demonstrated in rat liver cells (BRL 3A) with apoptotic nuclear morphological changes and a decrease in cell index (CI) in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The role of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and autophagy in Cd-induced apoptosis was investigated. Cd significantly induced GJIC inhibition as well as downregulation of connexin 43 (Cx43). The prototypical gap junction blocker carbenoxolone disodium (CBX) exacerbated the Cd-induced decrease in CI. Cd treatment was also found to cause autophagy, with an increase in mRNA expression of autophagy-related genes Atg-5, Atg-7, Beclin-1, and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) conversion from cytosolic LC3-I to membrane-bound LC3-II. The autophagic inducer rapamycin (RAP) prevented the Cd-induced CI decrease, while the autophagic inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) caused a further reduction in CI. In addition, CBX promoted Cd-induced autophagy, as well as changes in expression of Atg-5, Atg-7, Beclin-1 and LC3. CQ was found to block the Cd-induced decrease in Cx43 and GJIC inhibition, whereas RAP had opposite effect. These results demonstrate that autophagy plays a protective role during Cd-induced apoptosis in BRL 3A cells during 6 h of experiment, while autophagy exacerbates Cd-induced GJIC inhibition which has a negative effect on cellular fate. - Highlights: • GJIC and autophagy is crucial for biological processes. • Cd exposure causes GJIC inhibition and autophagy increase in BRL 3A cells. • Autophagy protects Cd induced BRL 3A cells apoptosis at an early stage. • Autophagy exacerbates Cd-induced GJIC inhibition. • GJIC plays an important role in autophagy induced cell death or survival.

Tumor Suppression and Promotion by Autophagy

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Yenniffer Ávalos

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a highly regulated catabolic process that involves lysosomal degradation of proteins and organelles, mostly mitochondria, for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and reduction of metabolic stress. Problems in the execution of this process are linked to different pathological conditions, such as neurodegeneration, aging, and cancer. Many of the proteins that regulate autophagy are either oncogenes or tumor suppressor proteins. Specifically, tumor suppressor genes that negatively regulate mTOR, such as PTEN, AMPK, LKB1, and TSC1/2 stimulate autophagy while, conversely, oncogenes that activate mTOR, such as class I PI3K, Ras, Rheb, and AKT, inhibit autophagy, suggesting that autophagy is a tumor suppressor mechanism. Consistent with this hypothesis, the inhibition of autophagy promotes oxidative stress, genomic instability, and tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, autophagy also functions as a cytoprotective mechanism under stress conditions, including hypoxia and nutrient starvation, that promotes tumor growth and resistance to chemotherapy in established tumors. Here, in this brief review, we will focus the discussion on this ambiguous role of autophagy in the development and progression of cancer.

Tumor suppression and promotion by autophagy.

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Ávalos, Yenniffer; Canales, Jimena; Bravo-Sagua, Roberto; Criollo, Alfredo; Lavandero, Sergio; Quest, Andrew F G

2014-01-01

Autophagy is a highly regulated catabolic process that involves lysosomal degradation of proteins and organelles, mostly mitochondria, for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and reduction of metabolic stress. Problems in the execution of this process are linked to different pathological conditions, such as neurodegeneration, aging, and cancer. Many of the proteins that regulate autophagy are either oncogenes or tumor suppressor proteins. Specifically, tumor suppressor genes that negatively regulate mTOR, such as PTEN, AMPK, LKB1, and TSC1/2 stimulate autophagy while, conversely, oncogenes that activate mTOR, such as class I PI3K, Ras, Rheb, and AKT, inhibit autophagy, suggesting that autophagy is a tumor suppressor mechanism. Consistent with this hypothesis, the inhibition of autophagy promotes oxidative stress, genomic instability, and tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, autophagy also functions as a cytoprotective mechanism under stress conditions, including hypoxia and nutrient starvation, that promotes tumor growth and resistance to chemotherapy in established tumors. Here, in this brief review, we will focus the discussion on this ambiguous role of autophagy in the development and progression of cancer.

Oxidative stress-induced autophagy: Role in pulmonary toxicity

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Malaviya, Rama; Laskin, Jeffrey D.; Laskin, Debra L.

2014-01-01

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process important in regulating the turnover of essential proteins and in elimination of damaged organelles and protein aggregates. Autophagy is observed in the lung in response to oxidative stress generated as a consequence of exposure to environmental toxicants. Whether autophagy plays role in promoting cell survival or cytotoxicity is unclear. In this article recent findings on oxidative stress-induced autophagy in the lung are reviewed; potential mechanisms initiating autophagy are also discussed. A better understanding of autophagy and its role in pulmonary toxicity may lead to the development of new strategies to treat lung injury associated with oxidative stress. - Highlights: • Exposure to pulmonary toxicants is associated with oxidative stress. • Oxidative stress is known to induce autophagy. • Autophagy is upregulated in the lung following exposure to pulmonary toxicants. • Autophagy may be protective or pathogenic

Oxidative stress-induced autophagy: Role in pulmonary toxicity

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Malaviya, Rama [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States); Laskin, Jeffrey D. [Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States); Laskin, Debra L., E-mail: laskin@eohsi.rutgers.edu [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States)

2014-03-01

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process important in regulating the turnover of essential proteins and in elimination of damaged organelles and protein aggregates. Autophagy is observed in the lung in response to oxidative stress generated as a consequence of exposure to environmental toxicants. Whether autophagy plays role in promoting cell survival or cytotoxicity is unclear. In this article recent findings on oxidative stress-induced autophagy in the lung are reviewed; potential mechanisms initiating autophagy are also discussed. A better understanding of autophagy and its role in pulmonary toxicity may lead to the development of new strategies to treat lung injury associated with oxidative stress. - Highlights: • Exposure to pulmonary toxicants is associated with oxidative stress. • Oxidative stress is known to induce autophagy. • Autophagy is upregulated in the lung following exposure to pulmonary toxicants. • Autophagy may be protective or pathogenic.

Autophagy regulated by prolyl isomerase Pin1 and phospho-Ser-GSK3αβ involved in protection of oral squamous cell carcinoma against cadmium toxicity

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So, Keum-Young [Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine College of Dentistry, Chosun University, 309 Pilmundaero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759 (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Sang-Gun [Department of Pathology, College of Dentistry, Chosun University, 309 Pilmundaero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759 (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Seon-Hee, E-mail: seonh@chosun.ac.kr [Department of Premedicine, School of Medicine, College of Dentistry, Chosun University, 309 Pilmundaero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-23

Prolyl isomerase Pin1 plays an important role in cell proliferation and is overexpressed in many human tumors. However, its role in autophagy induction remains undefined. Here we show that Pin1 regulates cell survival via autophagy in cadmium (Cd)-exposed oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). OSCC exposure to Cd induced autophagy, as demonstrated by the formation of green fluorescent punctae in transfected cells expressing GFP-conjugated microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) and by LC3 flux in the presence of autophagy inhibitors. Suppression of Atg5 enhanced Cd-induced apoptosis, indicating that autophagy is involved in cell protection. In dose–response experiments, cleavage of procaspase-3, PARP-1, and LC3-II was induced by Cd with an IC{sub 50} of 45 μM. Expression of Pin1 was decreased at or above the Cd IC{sub 50} value and was inversely correlated with the level of phospho(p)-Ser-GSK3αβ. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of Pin1 suppressed Cd-induced autophagy, but increased p-Akt-mediated p-Ser-GSK3αβ; this was reversed by overexpression of Pin1. However, suppression of GSK3αβ inhibited Cd-induced autophagy and induced apoptosis, which could be reversed by overexpression of GSK3β. The PI3K inhibitor Ly294002 blocked p-Akt-mediated increases in p-Ser-GSK3αβ and autophagy and induced apoptosis. Therefore, p-Ser-GSK3αβ can directly regulate Cd-induced autophagy, although its function is suppressed by Pin1. Collectively, the present results indicate that targeting Pin1 and GSK3αβ at the same time could be an effective therapeutic tool for Cd-induced carcinogenesis. - Highlights: • Pin1 regulated autophagy to protect cells from cadmium toxicity. • Pin1 suppression inhibited cadmium-induced autophagy and induced apoptosis. • Pin1 inhibited the function of p-Ser-GSK3αβ in autophagy regulation. • p-Ser-GSK3αβ regulated autophagy independently of Pin1.

Autophagy regulated by prolyl isomerase Pin1 and phospho-Ser-GSK3αβ involved in protection of oral squamous cell carcinoma against cadmium toxicity

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So, Keum-Young; Ahn, Sang-Gun; Oh, Seon-Hee

2015-01-01

Prolyl isomerase Pin1 plays an important role in cell proliferation and is overexpressed in many human tumors. However, its role in autophagy induction remains undefined. Here we show that Pin1 regulates cell survival via autophagy in cadmium (Cd)-exposed oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). OSCC exposure to Cd induced autophagy, as demonstrated by the formation of green fluorescent punctae in transfected cells expressing GFP-conjugated microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) and by LC3 flux in the presence of autophagy inhibitors. Suppression of Atg5 enhanced Cd-induced apoptosis, indicating that autophagy is involved in cell protection. In dose–response experiments, cleavage of procaspase-3, PARP-1, and LC3-II was induced by Cd with an IC_5_0 of 45 μM. Expression of Pin1 was decreased at or above the Cd IC_5_0 value and was inversely correlated with the level of phospho(p)-Ser-GSK3αβ. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of Pin1 suppressed Cd-induced autophagy, but increased p-Akt-mediated p-Ser-GSK3αβ; this was reversed by overexpression of Pin1. However, suppression of GSK3αβ inhibited Cd-induced autophagy and induced apoptosis, which could be reversed by overexpression of GSK3β. The PI3K inhibitor Ly294002 blocked p-Akt-mediated increases in p-Ser-GSK3αβ and autophagy and induced apoptosis. Therefore, p-Ser-GSK3αβ can directly regulate Cd-induced autophagy, although its function is suppressed by Pin1. Collectively, the present results indicate that targeting Pin1 and GSK3αβ at the same time could be an effective therapeutic tool for Cd-induced carcinogenesis. - Highlights: • Pin1 regulated autophagy to protect cells from cadmium toxicity. • Pin1 suppression inhibited cadmium-induced autophagy and induced apoptosis. • Pin1 inhibited the function of p-Ser-GSK3αβ in autophagy regulation. • p-Ser-GSK3αβ regulated autophagy independently of Pin1.

Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decotion induced protective autophagy against the injury of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion via MAPK-mTOR signaling pathway.

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Wang, Peng-Ran; Wang, Jun-Song; Zhang, Chao; Song, Xing-Fang; Tian, Na; Kong, Ling-Yi

2013-08-26

Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decotion (HLJDD, Hwangryun-Hae-Dok-Decotion in Japan), an ancient antipyretic and detoxifying traditional Chinese medicine formula, was reported to have protective effect on ischemic stroke. To investigate the therapeutic effect of HLJDD on ischemic stroke and explore its mode of action. A model of ischemic stroke in the rat was established after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion. Rats were assigned randomly to groups of control, sham, transient ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), and three treatment groups by HLJDD at 2.5, 5.0, 10.0mg/kg. The neurological deficit, the cerebral infarct size, morphology abnormality, biochemical parameters were examined, and the levels of relevant proteins were determined by immunoblotting analysis to evaluate the protective effects of HLJDD on ischemic stroke and explore the underlying mechanism. Compared with I/R group, HLJDD significantly ameliorated neurological deficit and histopathology changes, decreased infarct area, and restored the levels of biochemical indicators including nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX). HLJDD also notably elevated the levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), Beclin-1, and other autophagy related genes (Atgs), promoted the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), protein kinase B (Akt), 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase (PDK1), and inhibited the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNK), p38, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). HLJDD showed neuroprotective effects on ischemic stroke, at least in part to the induced protective autophagy via the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signals. This Akt-independent protective autophagy is favorable in the treatment of stroke, avoiding unfavorable side

A role for autophagy in the extension of lifespan by dietary restriction in C. elegans.

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Malene Hansen

2008-02-01

Full Text Available In many organisms, dietary restriction appears to extend lifespan, at least in part, by down-regulating the nutrient-sensor TOR (Target Of Rapamycin. TOR inhibition elicits autophagy, the large-scale recycling of cytoplasmic macromolecules and organelles. In this study, we asked whether autophagy might contribute to the lifespan extension induced by dietary restriction in C. elegans. We find that dietary restriction and TOR inhibition produce an autophagic phenotype and that inhibiting genes required for autophagy prevents dietary restriction and TOR inhibition from extending lifespan. The longevity response to dietary restriction in C. elegans requires the PHA-4 transcription factor. We find that the autophagic response to dietary restriction also requires PHA-4 activity, indicating that autophagy is a transcriptionally regulated response to food limitation. In spite of the rejuvenating effect that autophagy is predicted to have on cells, our findings suggest that autophagy is not sufficient to extend lifespan. Long-lived daf-2 insulin/IGF-1 receptor mutants require both autophagy and the transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO for their longevity, but we find that autophagy takes place in the absence of DAF-16. Perhaps autophagy is not sufficient for lifespan extension because although it provides raw material for new macromolecular synthesis, DAF-16/FOXO must program the cells to recycle this raw material into cell-protective longevity proteins.

Curcumin protects neuronal cells against status-epilepticus-induced hippocampal damage through induction of autophagy and inhibition of necroptosis.

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Wang, Jin; Liu, Yuan; Li, Xiao-Hui; Zeng, Xiang-Chang; Li, Jian; Zhou, Jun; Xiao, Bo; Hu, Kai

2017-05-01

Status epilepticus, the most severe form of epilepsy, is characterized by progressive functional and structural damage in the hippocampus, ultimately leading to the development and clinical appearance of spontaneous, recurrent seizures. Although the pathogenesis underlying epileptogenesis processes remains unclear, a substantial body of evidence has shown that status epilepticus acts as an important initial factor in triggering epileptogenesis. Notably, besides classical cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and necrosis, 2 novel regulators of cell fate known as necroptosis and autophagy, are demonstrated to be involved in neuronal damage in various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, whether necroptosis and autophagy play a role in post-status-epilepticus rat hippocampus and other epilepsy mechanisms deserves further research effort. In addition, research is needed to determine whether compounds from traditional Chinese herbs possess antiepileptic effects through the modulation of necroptosis and autophagy. In this study, we found that curcumin, a polyphenolic phytochemical extracted from the Curcuma longa plant, protects neuronal cells against status-epilepticus-induced hippocampal neuronal damage in the lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus rat model through induction of autophagy and inhibition of necroptosis.

Antioxidant Supplement Inhibits Skeletal Muscle Constitutive Autophagy rather than Fasting-Induced Autophagy in Mice

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Zhengtang Qi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we tested the hypothesis that NAC administration leads to reduced oxidative stress and thus to decreased expression of autophagy markers in young mice. Our results reveal that NAC administration results in reduced muscle mRNA levels of several autophagy markers, including Beclin-1, Atg7, LC3, Atg9, and LAMP2. However, NAC supplement fails to block the activation of skeletal muscle autophagy in response to fasting, because fasting significantly increases the mRNA level of several autophagy markers and LC3 lipidation. We further examined the effects of NAC administration on mitochondrial antioxidant capacity in fed and 24-hour fasted mice. Our results clearly show that NAC administration depresses the expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD and TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR, both of which play a predominant antioxidant role in mitochondria by reducing ROS level. In addition, we found no beneficial effect of NAC supplement on muscle mass but it can protect from muscle loss in response to fasting. Collectively, our findings indicate that ROS is required for skeletal muscle constitutive autophagy, rather than starvation-induced autophagy, and that antioxidant NAC inhibits constitutive autophagy by the regulation of mitochondrial ROS production and antioxidant capacity.

Antimony trichloride induces a loss of cell viability via reactive oxygen species-dependent autophagy in A549 cells.

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Zhao, Xinyuan; Xing, Fengjun; Cong, Yewen; Zhuang, Yin; Han, Muxi; Wu, Zhiqiang; Yu, Shali; Wei, Haiyan; Wang, Xiaoke; Chen, Gang

2017-12-01

Antimony (Sb) is one of the most prevalent heavy metals and frequently leads to biological toxicity. Although autophagy is believed to be involved in metal-associated cytotoxicity, there is no evidence of its involvement following exposure. Moreover, the underlying mechanism of autophagy remains unclear. In this study, treatment with antimony trichloride caused autophagy in a dose- and time-dependent manner in A549 cells but did not affect the level of Atg5 or Atg7 mRNA expression. Furthermore, Sb enhanced autophagic flux while upregulating p62 gene and protein levels. The classic mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is not involved in Sb-induced autophagy. However, Sb-induced autophagy and the upregulation of p62 were inhibited by treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Subsequent analyses demonstrated that the inhibition of autophagy protected A549 cells from a loss of cell viability, while the activation of autophagy by rapamycin had the opposite effect. These data suggest that reactive oxygen species-dependent autophagy mediates Sb-stimulated cell viability loss in A549 cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Variant of the Autophagy-Related 5 Gene Is Associated with Child Cerebral Palsy

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Jianhua Xu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Cerebral palsy (CP is a major cause of childhood disability in developed and developing countries, but the pathogenic mechanisms of CP development remain largely unknown. Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular self-digestion of damaged organelles and dysfunctional macromolecules. Growing evidence suggests that autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5-dependent autophagy is involved in neural development, neuronal differentiation, and neurological degenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze ATG5 protein expression and gene polymorphisms in Chinese patients with CP and to evaluate the importance of ATG5 in the development of CP. Five polymorphisms from different regions of the ATG5 gene (rs510432, rs3804338, rs573775, rs2299863, and rs6568431 were analyzed in 715 CP patients and 658 controls using MassARRAY. Of these, 58 patients and 56 controls were selected for measurement of plasma ATG5 level using ELISA. The relevance of disease-associated SNPs was evaluated using the SHEsis program. We identified a significant association between rs6568431 and CP (OR = 1.388, 95% CI = 1.173~1.643, Pallele = 0.0005, Pgenotype = 0.0015. Subgroup analysis showed a highly significant association of rs6568431 with spastic CP (n = 468, OR = 1.511, 95% CI = 1.251~1.824, Pallele = 8.50e−005, Pgenotype = 1.57e−004 and spastic quadriplegia (OR = 1.927, 95% CI = 1.533~2.421, Pallele = 7.35e−008, Pgenotype = 3.24e−009. Furthermore, mean plasma ATG5 levels were lower in CP patients than in controls, and individuals carrying the AA genotype of rs6568431 that was positively associated with CP had lower plasma ATG5 levels (P < 0.05. This study demonstrated an association of an ATG5 gene variant and low level of ATG5 protein with CP, and stronger associations with severe clinical manifestations were identified. Our results provide novel evidence for a role of ATG5 in CP and shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying this neurodevelopmental disorder.

Autophagy and the nutritional signaling pathway

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Long HE,Shabnam ESLAMFAM,Xi MA,Defa LI

2016-09-01

Full Text Available During their growth and development, animals adapt to tremendous changes in order to survive. These include responses to both environmental and physiological changes and autophagy is one of most important adaptive and regulatory mechanisms. Autophagy is defined as an autolytic process to clear damaged cellular organelles and recycle the nutrients via lysosomic degradation. The process of autophagy responds to special conditions such as nutrient withdrawal. Once autophagy is induced, phagophores form and then elongate and curve to form autophagosomes. Autophagosomes then engulf cargo, fuse with endosomes, and finally fuse with lysosomes for maturation. During the initiation process, the ATG1/ULK1 (unc-51-like kinase 1 and VPS34 (which encodes a class III phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns 3-kinase complexes are critical in recruitment and assembly of other complexes required for autophagy. The process of autophagy is regulated by autophagy related genes (ATGs. Amino acid and energy starvation mediate autophagy by activating mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK. AMPK is the energy status sensor, the core nutrient signaling component and the metabolic kinase of cells. This review mainly focuses on the mechanism of autophagy regulated by nutrient signaling especially for the two important complexes, ULK1 and VPS34.

Autophagy Is an Innate Mechanism Associated with Leprosy Polarization

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Andrade, Priscila Ribeiro; Ferreira, Helen; Nery, José Augusto da Costa; Côrte-Real, Suzana; da Silva, Gilberto Marcelo Sperandio; Rosa, Patricia Sammarco; Fabri, Mario; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes

2017-01-01

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that may present different clinical forms according to the immune response of the host. Levels of IFN-γ are significantly raised in paucibacillary tuberculoid (T-lep) when compared with multibacillary lepromatous (L-lep) patients. IFN-γ primes macrophages for inflammatory activation and induces the autophagy antimicrobial mechanism. The involvement of autophagy in the immune response against Mycobacterium leprae remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrated by different autophagic assays that LC3-positive autophagosomes were predominantly observed in T-lep when compared with L-lep lesions and skin-derived macrophages. Accumulation of the autophagic receptors SQSTM1/p62 and NBR1, expression of lysosomal antimicrobial peptides and colocalization analysis of autolysosomes revealed an impairment of the autophagic flux in L-lep cells, which was restored by IFN-γ or rapamycin treatment. Autophagy PCR array gene-expression analysis revealed a significantly upregulation of autophagy genes (BECN1, GPSM3, ATG14, APOL1, and TPR) in T-lep cells. Furthermore, an upregulation of autophagy genes (TPR, GFI1B and GNAI3) as well as LC3 levels was observed in cells of L-lep patients that developed type 1 reaction (T1R) episodes, an acute inflammatory condition associated with increased IFN-γ levels. Finally, we observed increased BCL2 expression in L-lep cells that could be responsible for the blockage of BECN1-mediated autophagy. In addition, in vitro studies demonstrated that dead, but not live M. leprae can induce autophagy in primary and lineage human monocytes, and that live mycobacteria can reduce the autophagy activation triggered by dead mycobacteria, suggesting that M. leprae may hamper the autophagic machinery as an immune escape mechanism. Together, these results indicate that autophagy is an important innate mechanism associated with the M. leprae control in skin macrophages. PMID:28056107

Green tea extract induces protective autophagy in A549 non-small lung cancer cell line.

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Izdebska, Magdalena; Klimaszewska-Wiśniewska, Anna; Hałas, Marta; Gagat, Maciej; Grzanka, Alina

2015-12-31

For many decades, polyphenols, including green tea extract catechins, have been reported to exert multiple anti-tumor activities. However, to date the mechanisms of their action have not been completely elucidated. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of green tea extract on non-small lung cancer A549 cells. A549 cells following treatment with GTE were analyzed using the inverted light and fluorescence microscope. In order to evaluate cell sensitivity and cell death, the MTT assay and Tali image-based cytometer were used, respectively. Ultrastructural alterations were assessed using a transmission electron microscope. The obtained data suggested that GTE, even at the highest dose employed (150 μM), was not toxic to A549 cells. Likewise, the treatment with GTE resulted in only a very small dose-dependent increase in the population of apoptotic cells. However, enhanced accumulation of vacuole-like structures in response to GTE was seen at the light and electron microscopic level. Furthermore, an increase in the acidic vesicular organelles and LC3-II puncta formation was observed under the fluorescence microscope, following GTE treatment. The analysis of the functional status of autophagy revealed that GTE-induced autophagy may provide self-protection against its own cytotoxicity, since we observed that the blockage of autophagy by bafilomycin A1 decreased the viability of A549 cells and potentiated necrotic cell death induction in response to GTE treatment. Collectively, our results revealed that A549 cells are insensitive to both low and high concentrations of the green tea extract, probably due to the induction of cytoprotective autophagy. These data suggest that a potential utility of GTE in lung cancer therapy may lie in its synergistic combinations with drugs or small molecules that target autophagy, rather than in monotherapy.

Green tea extract induces protective autophagy in A549 non-small lung cancer cell line

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Magdalena Izdebska

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: For many decades, polyphenols, including green tea extract catechins, have been reported to exert multiple anti-tumor activities. However, to date the mechanisms of their action have not been completely elucidated. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of green tea extract on non-small lung cancer A549 cells. Material and methods: A549 cells following treatment with GTE were analyzed using the inverted light and fluorescence microscope. In order to evaluate cell sensitivity and cell death, the MTT assay and Tali image-based cytometer were used, respectively. Ultrastructural alterations were assessed using a transmission electron microscope.Results: The obtained data suggested that GTE, even at the highest dose employed (150 μM, was not toxic to A549 cells. Likewise, the treatment with GTE resulted in only a very small dose-dependent increase in the population of apoptotic cells. However, enhanced accumulation of vacuole-like structures in response to GTE was seen at the light and electron microscopic level. Furthermore, an increase in the acidic vesicular organelles and LC3-II puncta formation was observed under the fluorescence microscope, following GTE treatment. The analysis of the functional status of autophagy revealed that GTE-induced autophagy may provide self-protection against its own cytotoxicity, since we observed that the blockage of autophagy by bafilomycin A1 decreased the viability of A549 cells and potentiated necrotic cell death induction in response to GTE treatment.Conclusion: Collectively, our results revealed that A549 cells are insensitive to both low and high concentrations of the green tea extract, probably due to the induction of cytoprotective autophagy. These data suggest that a potential utility of GTE in lung cancer therapy may lie in its synergistic combinations with drugs or small molecules that target autophagy, rather than in monotherapy.

Autophagy as an Emerging Common Pathomechanism in Inherited Peripheral Neuropathies

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Mansour Haidar

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The inherited peripheral neuropathies (IPNs comprise a growing list of genetically heterogeneous diseases. With mutations in more than 80 genes being reported to cause IPNs, a wide spectrum of functional consequences is expected to follow this genotypic diversity. Hence, the search for a common pathomechanism among the different phenotypes has become the holy grail of functional research into IPNs. During the last decade, studies on several affected genes have shown a direct and/or indirect correlation with autophagy. Autophagy, a cellular homeostatic process, is required for the removal of cell aggregates, long-lived proteins and dead organelles from the cell in double-membraned vesicles destined for the lysosomes. As an evolutionarily highly conserved process, autophagy is essential for the survival and proper functioning of the cell. Recently, neuronal cells have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to disruption of the autophagic pathway. Furthermore, autophagy has been shown to be affected in various common neurodegenerative diseases of both the central and the peripheral nervous system including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. In this review we provide an overview of the genes involved in hereditary neuropathies which are linked to autophagy and we propose the disruption of the autophagic flux as an emerging common pathomechanism. We also shed light on the different steps of the autophagy pathway linked to these genes. Finally, we review the concept of autophagy being a therapeutic target in IPNs, and the possibilities and challenges of this pathway-specific targeting.

Induction of genomic instability and activation of autophagy in artificial human aneuploid cells

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Ariyoshi, Kentaro [Hirosaki University, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki 036-8564 (Japan); Miura, Tomisato; Kasai, Kosuke; Fujishima, Yohei [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki 036-8564 (Japan); Oshimura, Mitsuo [Chromosome Engineering Research Center (CERC), Tottori University, Nishicho 86, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503 (Japan); Yoshida, Mitsuaki A., E-mail: ariyoshi@hirosaki-u.ac.jp [Hirosaki University, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki 036-8564 (Japan)

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Clones with artificial aneuploidy of chromosome 8 or chromosome 22 both show inhibited proliferation and genomic instability. • Increased autophagy was observed in the artificially aneuploid clones. • Inhibition of autophagy resulted in increased genomic instability and DNA damage. • Intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species were up-regulated in the artificially aneuploid clones. - Abstract: Chromosome missegregation can lead to a change in chromosome number known as aneuploidy. Although aneuploidy is a known hallmark of cancer cells, the various mechanisms by which altered gene and/or DNA copy number facilitate tumorigenesis remain unclear. To understand the effect of aneuploidy occurring in non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial cells, we generated clones harboring artificial aneuploidy using microcell-mediated chromosome transfer. Our results demonstrate that clones with artificial aneuploidy of chromosome 8 or chromosome 22 both show inhibited proliferation and genomic instability. Also, the increased autophagy was observed in the artificially aneuploidy clones, and inhibition of autophagy resulted in increased genomic instability and DNA damage. In addition, the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species were up-regulated in the artificially aneuploid clones, and inhibition of autophagy further increased the production of reactive oxygen species. Together, these results suggest that even a single extraneous chromosome can induce genomic instability, and that autophagy triggered by aneuploidy-induced stress is a mechanism to protect cells bearing abnormal chromosome number.

Induction of genomic instability and activation of autophagy in artificial human aneuploid cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ariyoshi, Kentaro; Miura, Tomisato; Kasai, Kosuke; Fujishima, Yohei; Oshimura, Mitsuo; Yoshida, Mitsuaki A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Clones with artificial aneuploidy of chromosome 8 or chromosome 22 both show inhibited proliferation and genomic instability. • Increased autophagy was observed in the artificially aneuploid clones. • Inhibition of autophagy resulted in increased genomic instability and DNA damage. • Intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species were up-regulated in the artificially aneuploid clones. - Abstract: Chromosome missegregation can lead to a change in chromosome number known as aneuploidy. Although aneuploidy is a known hallmark of cancer cells, the various mechanisms by which altered gene and/or DNA copy number facilitate tumorigenesis remain unclear. To understand the effect of aneuploidy occurring in non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial cells, we generated clones harboring artificial aneuploidy using microcell-mediated chromosome transfer. Our results demonstrate that clones with artificial aneuploidy of chromosome 8 or chromosome 22 both show inhibited proliferation and genomic instability. Also, the increased autophagy was observed in the artificially aneuploidy clones, and inhibition of autophagy resulted in increased genomic instability and DNA damage. In addition, the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species were up-regulated in the artificially aneuploid clones, and inhibition of autophagy further increased the production of reactive oxygen species. Together, these results suggest that even a single extraneous chromosome can induce genomic instability, and that autophagy triggered by aneuploidy-induced stress is a mechanism to protect cells bearing abnormal chromosome number.

Egr-1 regulates autophagy in cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

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Zhi-Hua Chen

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is a progressive lung disease characterized by abnormal cellular responses to cigarette smoke, resulting in tissue destruction and airflow limitation. Autophagy is a degradative process involving lysosomal turnover of cellular components, though its role in human diseases remains unclear.Increased autophagy was observed in lung tissue from COPD patients, as indicated by electron microscopic analysis, as well as by increased activation of autophagic proteins (microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain-3B, LC3B, Atg4, Atg5/12, Atg7. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE is an established model for studying the effects of cigarette smoke exposure in vitro. In human pulmonary epithelial cells, exposure to CSE or histone deacetylase (HDAC inhibitor rapidly induced autophagy. CSE decreased HDAC activity, resulting in increased binding of early growth response-1 (Egr-1 and E2F factors to the autophagy gene LC3B promoter, and increased LC3B expression. Knockdown of E2F-4 or Egr-1 inhibited CSE-induced LC3B expression. Knockdown of Egr-1 also inhibited the expression of Atg4B, a critical factor for LC3B conversion. Inhibition of autophagy by LC3B-knockdown protected epithelial cells from CSE-induced apoptosis. Egr-1(-/- mice, which displayed basal airspace enlargement, resisted cigarette-smoke induced autophagy, apoptosis, and emphysema.We demonstrate a critical role for Egr-1 in promoting autophagy and apoptosis in response to cigarette smoke exposure in vitro and in vivo. The induction of autophagy at early stages of COPD progression suggests novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of cigarette smoke induced lung injury.

Here, there be dragons: charting autophagy-related alterations in human tumors.

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Lebovitz, Chandra B; Bortnik, Svetlana B; Gorski, Sharon M

2012-03-01

Macroautophagy (or autophagy) is a catabolic cellular process that is both homeostatic and stress adaptive. Normal cells rely on basal levels of autophagy to maintain cellular integrity (via turnover of long-lived proteins and damaged organelles) and increased levels of autophagy to buoy cell survival during various metabolic stresses (via nutrient and energy provision through lysosomal degradation of cytoplasmic components). Autophagy can function in both tumor suppression and tumor progression, and is under investigation in clinical trials as a novel target for anticancer therapy. However, its role in cancer pathogenesis has yet to be fully explored. In particular, it remains unknown whether in vitro observations will be applicable to human cancer patients. Another outstanding question is whether there exists tumor-specific selection for alterations in autophagy function. In this review, we survey reported mutations in autophagy genes and key autophagy regulators identified in human tumor samples and summarize the literature regarding expression levels of autophagy genes and proteins in various cancer tissues. Although it is too early to draw inferences from this collection of in vivo studies of autophagy-related alterations in human cancers, their results highlight the challenges that must be overcome before we can accurately assess the scope of autophagy's predicted role in tumorigenesis.

Autophagy is essential for hearing in mice.

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Fujimoto, Chisato; Iwasaki, Shinichi; Urata, Shinji; Morishita, Hideaki; Sakamaki, Yuriko; Fujioka, Masato; Kondo, Kenji; Mizushima, Noboru; Yamasoba, Tatsuya

2017-05-11

Hearing loss is the most frequent sensory disorder in humans. Auditory hair cells (HCs) are postmitotic at late-embryonic differentiation and postnatal stages, and their damage is the major cause of hearing loss. There is no measurable HC regeneration in the mammalian cochlea, and the maintenance of cell function is crucial for preservation of hearing. Here we generated mice deficient in autophagy-related 5 (Atg5), a gene essential for autophagy, in the HCs to investigate the effect of basal autophagy on hearing acuity. Deletion of Atg5 resulted in HC degeneration and profound congenital hearing loss. In autophagy-deficient HCs, polyubiquitinated proteins and p62/SQSTM1, an autophagy substrate, accumulated as inclusion bodies during the first postnatal week, and these aggregates increased in number. These findings revealed that basal autophagy has an important role in maintenance of HC morphology and hearing acuity.

L-Ascorbate Protects Against Methamphetamine-Induced Neurotoxicity of Cortical Cells via Inhibiting Oxidative Stress, Autophagy, and Apoptosis.

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Huang, Ya-Ni; Yang, Ling-Yu; Wang, Jing-Ya; Lai, Chien-Cheng; Chiu, Chien-Tsai; Wang, Jia-Yi

2017-01-01

Methamphetamine (METH)-induced cell death contributes to the pathogenesis of neurotoxicity; however, the relative roles of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy remain unclear. L-Ascorbate, also called vitamin (Vit.) C, confers partial protection against METH neurotoxicity via induction of heme oxygenase-1. We further investigated the role of Vit. C in METH-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy in cortical cells. Exposure to lower concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1 mM) of METH had insignificant effects on ROS production, whereas cells exposed to 5 mM METH exhibited ROS production in a time-dependent manner. We confirmed METH-induced apoptosis (by nuclear morphology revealed by Hoechst 33258 staining and Western blot showing the protein levels of pro-caspase 3 and cleaved caspase 3) and autophagy (by Western blot showing the protein levels of Belin-1 and conversion of microtubule-associated light chain (LC)3-I to LC3-II and autophagosome staining by monodansylcadaverine). The apoptosis as revealed by cleaved caspase-3 expression marked an increase at 18 h after METH exposure while both autophagic markers, Beclin 1 and LC3-II, marked an increase in cells exposed to METH for 6 and 24 h, respectively. Treating cells with Vit. C 30 min before METH exposure time-dependently attenuated the production of ROS. Vitamin C also attenuated METH-induced Beclin 1 and LC3-II expression and METH toxicity. Treatment of cells with Vit. C before METH exposure attenuated the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and reduced the number of METH-induced apoptotic cells. We suggest that the protective effect of Vit. C against METH toxicity might be through attenuation of ROS production, autophagy, and apoptosis.

Autophagy: More Than a Nonselective Pathway

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Fulvio Reggiori

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a catabolic pathway conserved among eukaryotes that allows cells to rapidly eliminate large unwanted structures such as aberrant protein aggregates, superfluous or damaged organelles, and invading pathogens. The hallmark of this transport pathway is the sequestration of the cargoes that have to be degraded in the lysosomes by double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. The key actors mediating the biogenesis of these carriers are the autophagy-related genes (ATGs. For a long time, it was assumed that autophagy is a bulk process. Recent studies, however, have highlighted the capacity of this pathway to exclusively eliminate specific structures and thus better fulfil the catabolic necessities of the cell. We are just starting to unveil the regulation and mechanism of these selective types of autophagy, but what it is already clearly emerging is that structures targeted to destruction are accurately enwrapped by autophagosomes through the action of specific receptors and adaptors. In this paper, we will briefly discuss the impact that the selective types of autophagy have had on our understanding of autophagy.

Autophagy plays an important role in protecting Pacific oysters from OsHV-1 and Vibrio aestuarianus infections.

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Moreau, Pierrick; Moreau, Kevin; Segarra, Amélie; Tourbiez, Delphine; Travers, Marie-Agnès; Rubinsztein, David C; Renault, Tristan

2015-01-01

Recent mass mortality outbreaks around the world in Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, have seriously affected the aquaculture economy. Although the causes for these mortality outbreaks appear complex, infectious agents are involved. Two pathogens are associated with mass mortality outbreaks, the virus ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) and the bacterium Vibrio aestuarianus. Here we describe the interactions between these 2 pathogens and autophagy, a conserved intracellular pathway playing a key role in innate immunity. We show for the first time that autophagy pathway is present and functional in Pacific oysters and plays an important role to protect animals from infections. This study contributes to better understand the innate immune system of Pacific oysters.

Exogenous NAD(+) decreases oxidative stress and protects H2O2-treated RPE cells against necrotic death through the up-regulation of autophagy.

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Zhu, Ying; Zhao, Ke-Ke; Tong, Yao; Zhou, Ya-Li; Wang, Yi-Xiao; Zhao, Pei-Quan; Wang, Zhao-Yang

2016-05-31

Increased oxidative stress, which can lead to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell death by inducing ATP depletion and DNA repair, is believed to be a prominent pathology in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the present study, we showed that and 0.1 mM nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) administration significantly blocked RPE cell death induced by 300 μM H2O2. Further investigation showed that H2O2 resulted in increased intracellular ROS level, activation of PARP-1 and subsequently necrotic death of RPE cells. Exogenous NAD(+) administration significantly decreased intracellular and intranuclear ROS levels in H2O2-treated RPE cells. In addition, NAD(+) administration to H2O2-treated RPE cells inhibited the activation of PARP-1 and protected the RPE cells against necrotic death. Moreover, exogenous NAD(+) administration up-regulated autophagy in the H2O2-treated RPE cells. Inhibition of autophagy by LY294002 blocked the decrease of intracellular and intranuclear ROS level. Besides, inhibition of autophagy by LY294002 abolished the protection of exogenous NAD(+) against H2O2-induced cell necrotic death. Taken together, our findings indicate that that exogenous NAD(+) administration suppresses H2O2-induced oxidative stress and protects RPE cells against PARP-1 mediated necrotic death through the up-regulation of autophagy. The results suggest that exogenous NAD(+) administration might be potential value for the treatment of AMD.

Exogenous NAD+ decreases oxidative stress and protects H2O2-treated RPE cells against necrotic death through the up-regulation of autophagy

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Zhu, Ying; Zhao, Ke-ke; Tong, Yao; Zhou, Ya-li; Wang, Yi-xiao; Zhao, Pei-quan; Wang, Zhao-yang

2016-01-01

Increased oxidative stress, which can lead to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell death by inducing ATP depletion and DNA repair, is believed to be a prominent pathology in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the present study, we showed that and 0.1 mM nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) administration significantly blocked RPE cell death induced by 300 μM H2O2. Further investigation showed that H2O2 resulted in increased intracellular ROS level, activation of PARP-1 and subsequently necrotic death of RPE cells. Exogenous NAD+ administration significantly decreased intracellular and intranuclear ROS levels in H2O2-treated RPE cells. In addition, NAD+ administration to H2O2-treated RPE cells inhibited the activation of PARP-1 and protected the RPE cells against necrotic death. Moreover, exogenous NAD+ administration up-regulated autophagy in the H2O2-treated RPE cells. Inhibition of autophagy by LY294002 blocked the decrease of intracellular and intranuclear ROS level. Besides, inhibition of autophagy by LY294002 abolished the protection of exogenous NAD+ against H2O2-induced cell necrotic death. Taken together, our findings indicate that that exogenous NAD+ administration suppresses H2O2-induced oxidative stress and protects RPE cells against PARP-1 mediated necrotic death through the up-regulation of autophagy. The results suggest that exogenous NAD+ administration might be potential value for the treatment of AMD. PMID:27240523

Autophagy in breast cancer and its implications for therapy

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Jain, Kirti; Paranandi, Krishna S; Sridharan, Savitha; Basu, Alakananda

2013-01-01

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process of cellular self-digestion that serves as a mechanism to clear damaged organelles and recycle nutrients. Since autophagy can promote cell survival as well as cell death, it has been linked to different human pathologies, including cancer. Although mono-allelic deletion of autophagy-related gene BECN1 in breast tumors originally indicated a tumor suppressive role for autophagy in breast cancer, the intense research during the last decade suggests a role for autophagy in tumor progression. It is now recognized that tumor cells often utilize autophagy to survive various stresses, such as oncogene-induced transformation, hypoxia, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and extracellular matrix detachment. Induction of autophagy by tumor cells may also contribute to tumor dormancy and resistance to anticancer therapies, thus making autophagy inhibitors promising drug candidates for breast cancer treatment. The scientific endeavors continue to define a precise role for autophagy in breast cancer. In this article, we review the current literature on the role of autophagy during the development and progression of breast cancer, and discuss the potential of autophagy modulators for breast cancer treatment. PMID:23841025

Identification of small molecule inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and autophagy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farkas, Thomas; Daugaard, Mads; Jaattela, Marja

2011-01-01

Macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) is a lysosomal catabolic pathway that controls cellular homeostasis and survival. It has recently emerged as an attractive target for the treatment of a variety of degenerative diseases and cancer. The targeting of autophagy has, however, been hampered...... for effective autophagy inhibition. Accordingly, they proved to be valuable tools for investigations of autophagy-associated cell death and survival. Employing KU55399, we demonstrated that autophagy protects amino acid-starved cells against both apoptosis and necroptosis. Taken together, our data introduce new...

Mitofusin 2 Exerts a Protective Role in Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Through Increasing Autophagy

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Cheng Peng

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Autophagy is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and the survival of terminally differentiated cells as neurons. In this study, we aim to investigate whether mitofusin 2, a mitochondrial fusion protein, mediates autophagy in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R injury. Methods: Primary cultured neurons were treated with oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion to mimic cerebral I/R injury in vitro. Autophagosomes were visualized upon TEM. Autophagy-markers were then detected to monitor autophagy by western-blot and real-time PCR, and the autophagic flux was tracked with a mRFP-GFP-LC3 construct by fluorescence as well as autophagy inhibitors and agonists. The up- and downregulation of Mfn2 were through transfecting a lentivirusexpression vector respectively. And neuronal injury was detected by cell counting kit and TUNEL assay. Results: Results showed I/R increased autophagosome formation and inhibited autolysosome degradation. Furthermore, use of autophagy related agents demonstrated that I/R injury was caused by insufficient autophagy and aggravated by impaired autophagic degradation. The results also indicated that mitofusin 2 could ameliorate I/R injury through increasing autophagosome formation and promoting the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. In contrast, downregulation of mitofusin 2 aggravated the I/R injury by inhibiting autophagosome formation and the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. Additionly, mitofusin 2 overexpression did not lead to autolysosome accumulation induced by I/R. Conclusions: In summary, this study explicitly demonstrated that mitofusin 2 could ameliorate I/R injury mainly through promoting autophagy, which represented a potential novel strategy for neuroprotection against cerebral I/R damage.

Dihydroptychantol A, a macrocyclic bisbibenzyl derivative, induces autophagy and following apoptosis associated with p53 pathway in human osteosarcoma U2OS cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xia; Wu, William K.K.; Sun Bin; Cui Min; Liu Shanshan; Gao Jian; Lou Hongxiang

2011-01-01

Dihydroptychantol A (DHA), a novel macrocyclic bisbibenzyl compound extracted from liverwort Asterella angusta, has antifungal and multi-drug resistance reversal properties. Here, the chemically synthesized DHA was employed to test its anti-cancer activities in human osteosarcoma U2OS cells. Our results demonstrated that DHA induced autophagy followed by apoptotic cell death accompanied with G 2 /M-phase cell cycle arrest in U2OS cells. DHA-induced autophagy was morphologically characterized by the formation of double membrane-bound autophagic vacuoles recognizable at the ultrastructural level. DHA also increased the levels of LC3-II, a marker of autophagy. Surprisingly, DHA-mediated apoptotic cell death was potentiated by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine, suggesting that autophagy may play a protective role that impedes the eventual cell death. Furthermore, p53 was shown to be involved in DHA-meditated autophagy and apoptosis. In this connection, DHA increased nuclear expression of p53, induced p53 phosphorylation, and upregulated p53 target gene p21 Waf1/Cip1 . In contrast, cytoplasmic p53 was reduced by DHA, which contributed to the stimulation of autophagy. In relation to the cell cycle, DHA decreased the expression of cyclin B 1 , a cyclin required for progression through the G 2 /M phase. Taken together, DHA induces G 2 /M-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in U2OS cells. DHA-induced apoptosis was preceded by the induction of protective autophagy. DHA-mediated autophagy and apoptosis are associated with the cytoplasmic and nuclear functions of p53.

Drp-1 dependent mitochondrial fragmentation and protective autophagy in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells overexpressing alpha-synuclein.

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Martinez, Jimena Hebe; Alaimo, Agustina; Gorojod, Roxana Mayra; Porte Alcon, Soledad; Fuentes, Federico; Coluccio Leskow, Federico; Kotler, Mónica Lidia

2018-04-01

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative movement disorder caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons from substantia nigra. It is characterized by the accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein as the major component of the Lewy bodies. Additional common features of this disease are the mitochondrial dysfunction and the activation/inhibition of autophagy both events associated to the intracellular accumulation of α-synuclein. The mechanism by which these events contribute to neural degeneration remains unknown. In the present work we investigated the effect of α-synuclein on mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy/mitophagy in SH-SY5Y cells, an in vitro model of Parkinson disease. We demonstrated that overexpression of wild type α-synuclein causes moderated toxicity, ROS generation and mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, α-synuclein induces the mitochondrial fragmentation on a Drp-1-dependent fashion. Overexpression of the fusion protein Opa-1 prevented both mitochondrial fragmentation and cytotoxicity. On the other hand, cells expressing α-synuclein showed activated autophagy and particularly mitophagy. Employing a genetic strategy we demonstrated that autophagy is triggered in order to protect cells from α-synuclein-induced cell death. Our results clarify the role of Opa-1 and Drp-1 in mitochondrial dynamics and cell survival, a controversial α-synuclein research issue. The findings presented point to the relevance of mitochondrial homeostasis and autophagy in the pathogenesis of PD. Better understanding of the molecular interaction between these processes could give rise to novel therapeutic methods for PD prevention and amelioration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oxidized low-density lipoproteins upregulate proline oxidase to initiate ROS-dependent autophagy.

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Zabirnyk, Olga; Liu, Wei; Khalil, Shadi; Sharma, Anit; Phang, James M

2010-03-01

Epidemiological studies showed that high levels of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs) are associated with increased cancer risk. We examined the direct effect of physiologic concentrations oxLDL on cancer cells. OxLDLs were cytotoxic and activate both apoptosis and autophagy. OxLDLs have ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and upregulated proline oxidase (POX) through this nuclear receptor. We identified 7-ketocholesterol (7KC) as a main component responsible for the latter. To elucidate the role of POX in oxLDL-mediated cytotoxicity, we knocked down POX via small interfering RNA and found that this (i) further reduced viability of cancer cells treated with oxLDL; (ii) decreased oxLDL-associated reactive oxygen species generation; (iii) decreased autophagy measured via beclin-1 protein level and light-chain 3 protein (LC3)-I into LC3-II conversion. Using POX-expressing cell model, we established that single POX overexpression was sufficient to activate autophagy. Thus, it led to autophagosomes accumulation and increased conversion of LC3-I into LC3-II. Moreover, beclin-1 gene expression was directly dependent on POX catalytic activity, namely the generation of POX-dependent superoxide. We conclude that POX is critical in the cellular response to the noxious effects of oxLDL by activating protective autophagy.

Autophagy in the eye: implications for ocular cell health.

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Frost, Laura S; Mitchell, Claire H; Boesze-Battaglia, Kathleen

2014-07-01

Autophagy, a catabolic process by which a cell "eats" itself, turning over its own cellular constituents, plays a key role in cellular homeostasis. In an effort to maintain normal cellular function, autophagy is often up-regulated in response to environmental stresses and excessive organelle damage to facilitate aggregated protein removal. In the eye, virtually all cell types from those comprising the cornea in the front of the eye to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) providing a protective barrier for the retina at the back of the eye, rely on one or more aspects of autophagy to maintain structure and/or normal physiological function. In the lens autophagy plays a critical role in lens fiber cell maturation and the formation of the organelle free zone. Numerous studies delineating the role of Atg5, Vsp34 as well as FYCO1 in maintenance of lens transparency are discussed. Corneal endothelial dystrophies are also characterized as having elevated levels of autophagic proteins. Therefore, novel modulators of autophagy such as lithium and melatonin are proposed as new therapeutic strategies for this group of dystrophies. In addition, we summarize how corneal Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1) infection subverts the cornea's response to infection by inhibiting the normal autophagic response. Using glaucoma models we analyze the relative contribution of autophagy to cell death and cell survival. The cytoprotective role of autophagy is further discussed in an analysis of photoreceptor cell heath and function. We focus our analysis on the current understanding of autophagy in photoreceptor and RPE health, specifically on the diverse role of autophagy in rods and cones as well as its protective role in light induced degeneration. Lastly, in the RPE we highlight hybrid phagocytosis-autophagy pathways. This comprehensive review allows us to speculate on how alterations in various stages of autophagy contribute to glaucoma and retinal degenerations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG sensitizes Bcl-2 inhibitor (-)-gossypol by suppressing ERK-mediated protective autophagy and Mcl-1 accumulation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

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Wang, Bin; Chen, Linfeng; Ni, Zhenhong; Dai, Xufang; Qin, Liyan; Wu, Yaran; Li, Xinzhe; Xu, Liang; Lian, Jiqin; He, Fengtian

2014-11-01

Natural BH3-memitic (-)-gossypol shows promising antitumor efficacy in several kinds of cancer. However, our previous studies have demonstrated that protective autophagy decreases the drug sensitivities of Bcl-2 inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In the present study, we are the first to report that Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG enhanced (-)-gossypol-induced apoptosis via suppressing (-)-gossypol-triggered protective autophagy and Mcl-1 accumulation. The suppression effect of 17-AAG on autophagy was mediated by inhibiting ERK-mediated Bcl-2 phosphorylation while was not related to Beclin1 or LC3 protein instability. Meanwhile, 17-AAG downregulated (-)-gossypol-triggered Mcl-1 accumulation by suppressing Mcl-1(Thr163) phosphorylation and promoting protein degradation. Collectively, our study indicates that Hsp90 plays an important role in tumor maintenance and inhibition of Hsp90 may become a new strategy for sensitizing Bcl-2-targeted chemotherapies in HCC cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Autophagy and Neurodegeneration: Pathogenic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities.

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Menzies, Fiona M; Fleming, Angeleen; Caricasole, Andrea; Bento, Carla F; Andrews, Stephen P; Ashkenazi, Avraham; Füllgrabe, Jens; Jackson, Anne; Jimenez Sanchez, Maria; Karabiyik, Cansu; Licitra, Floriana; Lopez Ramirez, Ana; Pavel, Mariana; Puri, Claudia; Renna, Maurizio; Ricketts, Thomas; Schlotawa, Lars; Vicinanza, Mariella; Won, Hyeran; Zhu, Ye; Skidmore, John; Rubinsztein, David C

2017-03-08

Autophagy is a conserved pathway that delivers cytoplasmic contents to the lysosome for degradation. Here we consider its roles in neuronal health and disease. We review evidence from mouse knockout studies demonstrating the normal functions of autophagy as a protective factor against neurodegeneration associated with intracytoplasmic aggregate-prone protein accumulation as well as other roles, including in neuronal stem cell differentiation. We then describe how autophagy may be affected in a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we describe how autophagy upregulation may be a therapeutic strategy in a wide range of neurodegenerative conditions and consider possible pathways and druggable targets that may be suitable for this objective. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functional variant in the autophagy-related 5 gene promotor is associated with childhood asthma.

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Lisa J Martin

Full Text Available Autophagy is a cellular process directed at eliminating or recycling cellular proteins. Recently, the autophagy pathway has been implicated in immune dysfunction, the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders, and response to viral infection. Associations between two genes in the autophagy pathway, ATG5 and ATG7, with childhood asthma were investigated.Using genetic and experimental approaches, we examined the association of 13 HapMap-derived tagging SNPs in ATG5 and ATG7 with childhood asthma in 312 asthmatic and 246 non-allergic control children. We confirmed our findings by using independent cohorts and imputation analysis. Finally, we evaluated the functional relevance of a disease associated SNP.We demonstrated that ATG5 single nucleotide polymorphisms rs12201458 and rs510432 were associated with asthma (p = 0.00085 and 0.0025, respectively. In three independent cohorts, additional variants in ATG5 in the same LD block were associated with asthma (p<0.05. We found that rs510432 was functionally relevant and conferred significantly increased promotor activity. Furthermore, Atg5 expression was increased in nasal epithelium of acute asthmatics compared to stable asthmatics and non-asthmatic controls.Genetic variants in ATG5, including a functional promotor variant, are associated with childhood asthma. These results provide novel evidence for a role for ATG5 in childhood asthma.

MDMA-induced neurotoxicity of serotonin neurons involves autophagy and rilmenidine is protective against its pathobiology.

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Mercer, Linda D; Higgins, Gavin C; Lau, Chew L; Lawrence, Andrew J; Beart, Philip M

2017-05-01

Toxicity of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) towards biogenic amine neurons is well documented and in primate brain predominantly affects serotonin (5-HT) neurons. MDMA induces damage of 5-HT axons and nerve fibres and intracytoplasmic inclusions. Whilst its pathobiology involves mitochondrially-mediated oxidative stress, we hypothesised MDMA possessed the capacity to activate autophagy, a proteostatic mechanism for degradation of cellular debris. We established a culture of ventral pons from embryonic murine brain enriched in 5-HT neurons to explore mechanisms of MDMA neurotoxicity and recruitment of autophagy, and evaluated possible neuroprotective actions of the clinically approved agent rilmenidine. MDMA (100 μM-1 mM) reduced cell viability, like rapamycin (RM) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Immunocytochemistry revealed dieback of 5-HT arbour: MDMA-induced injury was slower than for RM and H 2 O 2 , neuritic blebbing occurred at 48 and 72 h and Hoechst labelling revealed nuclear fragmentation with 100 μM MDMA. MDMA effected concentration-dependent inhibition of [ 3 H]5-HT uptake with 500 μM MDMA totally blocking transport. Western immunoblotting for microtubule associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) revealed autophagosome formation after treatment with MDMA. Confocal analyses and immunocytochemistry for 5-HT, Hoechst and LC3 confirmed MDMA induced autophagy with abundant LC3-positive puncta within 5-HT neurons. Rilmenidine (1 μM) protected against MDMA-induced injury and image analysis showed full preservation of 5-HT arbours. MDMA had no effect on GABA neurons, indicating specificity of action at 5-HT neurons. MDMA-induced neurotoxicity involves autophagy induction in 5-HT neurons, and rilmenidine via beneficial actions against toxic intracellular events represents a potential treatment for its pathobiology in sustained usage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role and mechanisms of autophagy in acetaminophen-induced liver injury.

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Chao, Xiaojuan; Wang, Hua; Jaeschke, Hartmut; Ding, Wen-Xing

2018-04-23

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the most frequent cause of acute liver failure in the USA and many other countries. Although the metabolism and pathogenesis of APAP has been extensively investigated for decades, the mechanisms by which APAP induces liver injury are incompletely known, which hampers the development of effective therapeutic approaches to tackle this important clinical problem. Autophagy is a highly conserved intracellular degradation pathway, which aims at recycling cellular components and damaged organelles in response to adverse environmental conditions and stresses as a survival mechanism. There is accumulating evidence indicating that autophagy is activated in response to APAP overdose in specific liver zone areas, and pharmacological activation of autophagy protects against APAP-induced liver injury. Increasing evidence also suggests that hepatic autophagy is impaired in nonalcoholic fatty livers (NAFLD), and NAFLD patients are more susceptible to APAP-induced liver injury. Here, we summarized the current progress on the role and mechanisms of autophagy in protecting against APAP-induced liver injury. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Autophagy response in the liver of pigeon exposed to avermectin.

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Wang, Xian-Song; Liu, Ci; Khoso, Pervez Ahmed; Zheng, Weijia; Li, Ming; Li, Shu

2017-05-01

Pesticide residues are an important aspect of environmental pollution. Environmental avermectin residues have produced adverse effects in organisms. Many pesticides exert their toxic effects via the mechanism of autophagy. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in autophagy levels and in autophagy-related genes, including LC3, Beclin 1, Dynein, ATG5, TORC1, and TORC2, resulting from exposure to subchronic levels of AVM in liver tissue in the king pigeon model. We observed abundant autophagic vacuoles with extensively degraded organelles, autophagosomal vacuoles, secondary lysosomes, and double-membrane structures in the liver. The expression levels of the autophagy-related genes LC3-I, LC3-II, Beclin 1, ATG5, and Dynein were up-regulated; however, TORC1 and TORC2 expression levels were down-regulated. These changes occurred in a concentration-dependent manner after AVM exposure for 30, 60, and 90 days in pigeons. Taken together, these results suggested that AVM increased the autophagic flux and that upregulation of autophagy might be closely related to the hepatotoxicity of AVM in birds.

Acid-induced autophagy protects human lung cancer cells from apoptosis by activating ER stress.

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Xie, Wen-Yue; Zhou, Xiang-Dong; Li, Qi; Chen, Ling-Xiu; Ran, Dan-Hua

2015-12-10

An acidic tumor microenvironment exists widely in solid tumors. However, the detailed mechanism of cell survival under acidic stress remains unclear. The aim of this study is to clarify whether acid-induced autophagy exists and to determine the function and mechanism of autophagy in lung cancer cells. We have found that acute low pH stimulated autophagy by increasing LC3-positive punctate vesicles, increasing LC3 II expression levels and reducing p62 protein levels. Additionally, autophagy was inhibited by the addition of Baf or knockdown of Beclin 1, and cell apoptosis was increased markedly. In mouse tumors, the expression of cleaved caspase3 and p62 was enhanced by oral treatment with sodium bicarbonate, which can raise the intratumoral pH. Furthermore, the protein levels of ER stress markers, including p-PERK, p-eIF2α, CHOP, XBP-1s and GRP78, were also increased in response to acidic pH. The antioxidant NAC, which reduces ROS accumulation, alleviated acid-mediated ER stress and autophagy, and knocking down GRP78 reduced autophagy activation under acidic conditions, which suggests that autophagy was induced by acidic pH through ER stress. Taken together, these results indicate that the acidic microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer cells promotes autophagy by increasing ROS-ER stress, which serves as a survival adaption in this setting. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome-wide screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae identifies vacuolar protein sorting, autophagy, biosynthetic, and tRNA methylation genes involved in life span regulation.

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Fabrizio, Paola; Hoon, Shawn; Shamalnasab, Mehrnaz; Galbani, Abdulaye; Wei, Min; Giaever, Guri; Nislow, Corey; Longo, Valter D

2010-07-15

The study of the chronological life span of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which measures the survival of populations of non-dividing yeast, has resulted in the identification of homologous genes and pathways that promote aging in organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. Using a competitive genome-wide approach, we performed a screen of a complete set of approximately 4,800 viable deletion mutants to identify genes that either increase or decrease chronological life span. Half of the putative short-/long-lived mutants retested from the primary screen were confirmed, demonstrating the utility of our approach. Deletion of genes involved in vacuolar protein sorting, autophagy, and mitochondrial function shortened life span, confirming that respiration and degradation processes are essential for long-term survival. Among the genes whose deletion significantly extended life span are ACB1, CKA2, and TRM9, implicated in fatty acid transport and biosynthesis, cell signaling, and tRNA methylation, respectively. Deletion of these genes conferred heat-shock resistance, supporting the link between life span extension and cellular protection observed in several model organisms. The high degree of conservation of these novel yeast longevity determinants in other species raises the possibility that their role in senescence might be conserved.

MicroRNA regulation of Autophagy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frankel, Lisa B; Lund, Anders H

2012-01-01

recently contributed to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the autophagy machinery, yet several gaps remain in our knowledge of this process. The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) established a new paradigm of post-transcriptional gene regulation and during the past decade these small non......RNAs to regulation of the autophagy pathway. This regulation occurs both through specific core pathway components as well as through less well-defined mechanisms. Although this field is still in its infancy, we are beginning to understand the potential implications of these initial findings, both from a pathological...

Simultaneous activation of mitophagy and autophagy by staurosporine protects against dopaminergic neuronal cell death.

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Ha, Ji-Young; Kim, Ji-Soo; Kim, Seo-Eun; Son, Jin H

2014-02-21

Abnormal autophagy is frequently observed during dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is not yet firmly established whether active autophagy is beneficial or pathogenic with respect to dopaminergic cell loss. Staurosporine, a common inducer of apoptosis, is often used in mechanistic studies of dopaminergic cell death. Here we report that staurosporine activates both autophagy and mitophagy simultaneously during dopaminergic neuronal cell death, and evaluate the physiological significance of these processes during cell death. First, staurosporine treatment resulted in induction of autophagy in more than 75% of apoptotic cells. Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy by bafilomycin A1 decreased significantly cell viability. In addition, staurosporine treatment resulted in activation of the PINK1-Parkin mitophagy pathway, of which deficit underlies some familial cases of PD, in the dopaminergic neuronal cell line, SN4741. The genetic blockade of this pathway by PINK1 null mutation also dramatically increased staurosporine-induced cell death. Taken together, our data suggest that staurosporine induces both mitophagy and autophagy, and that these pathways exert a significant neuroprotective effect, rather than a contribution to autophagic cell death. This model system may therefore be useful for elucidating the mechanisms underlying crosstalk between autophagy, mitophagy, and cell death in dopaminergic neurons. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overexpression of KAI1 induces autophagy and increases MiaPaCa-2 cell survival through the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases

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Wu, Chun-Yan; Yan, Jun; Yang, Yue-Feng; Xiao, Feng-Jun; Li, Qing-Fang; Zhang, Qun-Wei; Wang, Li-Sheng; Guo, Xiao-Zhong; Wang, Hua

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We first investigate the effects of KAI1 on autophagy in MiaPaCa-2 cells. → Our findings demonstrate that KAI1 induces autophagy, which in turn inhibits KAI1-induced apoptosis. → This study also supplies a possible novel therapeutic method for the treatment of pancreatic cancer using autophagy inhibitors. -- Abstract: KAI1, a metastasis-suppressor gene belonging to the tetraspanin family, is known to inhibit cancer metastasis without affecting the primary tumorigenicity by inhibiting the epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling pathway. Recent studies have shown that hypoxic conditions of solid tumors induce high-level autophagy and KAI1 expression. However, the relationship between autophagy and KAI1 remains unclear. By using transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, and Western blotting, we found that KAI1 can induce autophagy in a dose- and time-dependent manner in the human pancreatic cell line MiaPaCa-2. KAI1-induced autophagy was confirmed by the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3 and Beclin 1. KAI1 induces autophagy through phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinases rather than that of AKT. KAI1-induced autophagy protects MiaPaCa-2 cells from apoptosis and proliferation inhibition partially through the downregulation of poly [adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose] polymerase (PARP) cleavage and caspase-3 activation.

WNK1 is an unexpected autophagy inhibitor

Science.gov (United States)

Gallolu Kankanamalage, Sachith; Lee, A-Young; Wichaidit, Chonlarat; Lorente-Rodriguez, Andres; Shah, Akansha M.; Stippec, Steve; Whitehurst, Angelique W.; Cobb, Melanie H.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Autophagy is a cellular degradation pathway that is essential to maintain cellular physiology, and deregulation of autophagy leads to multiple diseases in humans. In a recent study, we discovered that the protein kinase WNK1 (WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1) is an inhibitor of autophagy. The loss of WNK1 increases both basal and starvation-induced autophagy. In addition, the depletion of WNK1 increases the activation of the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns3K) complex, which is required to induce autophagy. Moreover, the loss of WNK1 increases the expression of ULK1 (unc-51 like kinase 1), which is upstream of the PtdIns3K complex. It also increases the pro-autophagic phosphorylation of ULK1 at Ser555 and the activation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), which is responsible for that phosphorylation. The inhibition of AMPK by compound C decreases the magnitude of autophagy induction following WNK1 loss; however, it does not prevent autophagy induction. We found that the UVRAG (UV radiation resistance associated gene), which is a component of the PtdIns3K, binds to the N-terminal region of WNK1. Moreover, WNK1 partially colocalizes with UVRAG and this colocalization decreases when autophagy is stimulated in cells. The loss of WNK1 also alters the cellular distribution of UVRAG. The depletion of the downstream target of WNK1, OXSR1/OSR1 (oxidative-stress responsive 1) has no effect on autophagy, whereas the depletion of its relative STK39/SPAK (serine/threonine kinase 39) induces autophagy under nutrient-rich and starved conditions. PMID:28282258

Enhanced Autophagy in Polycystic Kidneys of AQP11 Null Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasuko Tanaka

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Aquaporin-11 (AQP11 is an intracellular water channel expressed at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER of the proximal tubule. Its gene disruption in mice leads to intracellular vacuole formation at one week and the subsequent development of polycystic kidneys by three weeks. As the damaged proximal tubular cells with intracellular vacuoles form cysts later, we postulated that autophagy may play a role in the cyst formation and examined autophagy activity before and after cyst development in AQP11(−/− kidneys. PCR analysis showed the increased expression of the transcript encoding LC3 (Map1lc3b as well as other autophagy-related genes in AQP11(−/− mice. Using green fluorescent protein (GFP-LC3 transgenic mice and AQP11(−/− mice, we found that the number of GFP-LC3–positive puncta was increased in the proximal tubule of AQP11(−/− mice before the cyst formation. Interestingly, they were also observed in the cyst-lining epithelial cell. Further PCR analyses revealed the enhanced expression of apoptosis-related and ER stress–related caspase genes before and after the cyst formation, which may cause the enhanced autophagy. These results suggest the involvement of autophagy in the development and maintenance of kidney cysts in AQP11(−/− mice.

The interplay between autophagy and ROS in tumorigenesis

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Kongara, Sameera [Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ (United States); The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Karantza, Vassiliki, E-mail: karantva@umdnj.edu [Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ (United States); The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ (United States)

2012-11-21

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) at physiological levels are important cell signaling molecules. However, aberrantly high ROS are intimately associated with disease and commonly observed in cancer. Mitochondria are primary sources of intracellular ROS, and their maintenance is essential to cellular health. Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved process whereby cytoplasmic components are delivered to lysosomes for degradation, is responsible for mitochondrial turnover and removal of damaged mitochondria. Impaired autophagy is implicated in many pathological conditions, including neurological disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, aging, and cancer. The first reports connecting autophagy to cancer showed that allelic loss of the essential autophagy gene BECLIN1 (BECN1) is prevalent in human breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers and that Becn1{sup +/-} mice develop mammary gland hyperplasias, lymphomas, lung and liver tumors. Subsequent studies demonstrated that Atg5{sup -/-} and Atg7{sup -/-} livers give rise to adenomas, Atg4C{sup -/-} mice are susceptible to chemical carcinogenesis, and Bif1{sup -/-} mice are prone to spontaneous tumors, indicating that autophagy defects promote tumorigenesis. Due to defective mitophagy, autophagy-deficient cells accumulate damaged mitochondria and deregulated ROS levels, which likely contribute to their tumor-initiating capacity. However, the role of autophagy in tumorigenesis is complex, as more recent work also revealed tumor dependence on autophagy: autophagy-competent mutant-Ras-expressing cells form tumors more efficiently than their autophagy-deficient counterparts; similarly, FIP200 deficiency suppresses PyMT-driven mammary tumorigenesis. These latter findings are attributed to the fact that tumors driven by powerful oncogenes have high metabolic demands catered to by autophagy. In this review, we discuss the relationship between ROS and autophagy and summarize our current knowledge on their functional interactions

The interplay between autophagy and ROS in tumorigenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kongara, Sameera; Karantza, Vassiliki

2012-01-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) at physiological levels are important cell signaling molecules. However, aberrantly high ROS are intimately associated with disease and commonly observed in cancer. Mitochondria are primary sources of intracellular ROS, and their maintenance is essential to cellular health. Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved process whereby cytoplasmic components are delivered to lysosomes for degradation, is responsible for mitochondrial turnover and removal of damaged mitochondria. Impaired autophagy is implicated in many pathological conditions, including neurological disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, aging, and cancer. The first reports connecting autophagy to cancer showed that allelic loss of the essential autophagy gene BECLIN1 (BECN1) is prevalent in human breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers and that Becn1 +/- mice develop mammary gland hyperplasias, lymphomas, lung and liver tumors. Subsequent studies demonstrated that Atg5 -/- and Atg7 -/- livers give rise to adenomas, Atg4C -/- mice are susceptible to chemical carcinogenesis, and Bif1 -/- mice are prone to spontaneous tumors, indicating that autophagy defects promote tumorigenesis. Due to defective mitophagy, autophagy-deficient cells accumulate damaged mitochondria and deregulated ROS levels, which likely contribute to their tumor-initiating capacity. However, the role of autophagy in tumorigenesis is complex, as more recent work also revealed tumor dependence on autophagy: autophagy-competent mutant-Ras-expressing cells form tumors more efficiently than their autophagy-deficient counterparts; similarly, FIP200 deficiency suppresses PyMT-driven mammary tumorigenesis. These latter findings are attributed to the fact that tumors driven by powerful oncogenes have high metabolic demands catered to by autophagy. In this review, we discuss the relationship between ROS and autophagy and summarize our current knowledge on their functional interactions in tumorigenesis.

Transcriptomic insights into the alternative splicing-mediated adaptation of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana to host niches: autophagy-related gene 8 as an example.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Wei-Xia; Ding, Jin-Li; Gao, Yang; Peng, Yue-Jin; Feng, Ming-Guang; Ying, Sheng-Hua

2017-10-01

Alternative splicing (AS) regulates various biological processes in fungi by extending the cellular proteome. However, comprehensive studies investigating AS in entomopathogenic fungi are lacking. Based on transcriptome data obtained via dual RNA-seq, the first overview of AS events was developed for Beauveria bassiana growing in an insect haemocoel. The AS was demonstrated for 556 of 8840 expressed genes, accounting for 5.4% of the total genes in B. bassiana. Intron retention was the most abundant type of AS, accounting for 87.1% of all splicing events and exon skipping events were rare, only accounting for 2.0% of all events. Functional distribution analysis indicated an association between alternatively spliced genes and several physiological processes. Notably, B. bassiana autophagy-related gene 8 (BbATG8), an indispensable gene for autophagy, was spliced at an alternative 5' splice site to generate two transcripts (BbATG8-α and BbATG8-β). The BbATG8-α transcript was necessary for fungal autophagy and oxidation tolerance, while the BbATG8-β transcript was not. These two transcripts differentially contributed to the formation of conidia or blastospores as well as fungal virulence. Thus, AS acts as a powerful post-transcriptional regulatory strategy in insect mycopathogens and significantly mediates fungal transcriptional adaption to host niches. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

GAMDB: a web resource to connect microRNAs with autophagy in gerontology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lan; Xie, Tao; Tian, Mao; Li, Jingjing; Song, Sicheng; Ouyang, Liang; Liu, Bo; Cai, Haoyang

2016-04-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous ~23 nucleotides (nt) RNAs, regulating gene expression by pairing to the mRNAs of protein-coding genes to direct their post-transcriptional repression. Both in normal and aberrant activities, miRNAs contribute to a recurring paradigm of cellular behaviors in pathological settings, especially in gerontology. Autophagy, a multi-step lysosomal degradation process with function to degrade long-lived proteins and damaged organelles, has significant impact on gerontology. Thus, elucidating how miRNAs participate in autophagy may enlarge the scope of miRNA in autophagy and facilitate researches in gerontology. Herein, based upon the published studies, predicted targets and gerontology-related diseases, we constructed a web resource named Gerontology-Autophagic-MicroRNA Database (GAMDB) (http://gamdb.liu-lab.com/index.php), which contained 836 autophagy-related miRNAs, 197 targeted genes/proteins and 56 aging-related diseases such as Parkinson' disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. We made use of large amounts of data to elucidate the intricate relationships between microRNA-regulated autophagic mechanisms and gerontology. This database will facilitate better understanding of autophagy regulation network in gerontology and thus promoting gerontology-related therapy in the future. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chikungunya virus–induced autophagy delays caspase-dependent cell death

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Joubert, Pierre-Emmanuel; Werneke, Scott W.; de la Calle, Claire; Guivel-Benhassine, Florence; Giodini, Alessandra; Peduto, Lucie; Levine, Beth; Schwartz, Olivier; Lenschow, Deborah J.

2012-01-01

Autophagy is an important survival pathway and can participate in the host response to infection. Studying Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), the causative agent of a major epidemic in India, Southeast Asia, and southern Europe, we reveal a novel mechanism by which autophagy limits cell death and mortality after infection. We use biochemical studies and single cell multispectral assays to demonstrate that direct infection triggers both apoptosis and autophagy. CHIKV-induced autophagy is mediated by the independent induction of endoplasmic reticulum and oxidative stress pathways. These cellular responses delay apoptotic cell death by inducing the IRE1α–XBP-1 pathway in conjunction with ROS-mediated mTOR inhibition. Silencing of autophagy genes resulted in enhanced intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis, favoring viral propagation in cultured cells. Providing in vivo evidence for the relevance of our findings, Atg16LHM mice, which display reduced levels of autophagy, exhibited increased lethality and showed a higher sensitivity to CHIKV-induced apoptosis. Based on kinetic studies and the observation that features of apoptosis and autophagy were mutually exclusive, we conclude that autophagy inhibits caspase-dependent cell death but is ultimately overwhelmed by viral replication. Our study suggests that inducers of autophagy may limit the pathogenesis of acute Chikungunya disease. PMID:22508836

Molecular Interactions of Autophagy with the Immune System and Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunho Jin

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic mechanism that mediates the degradation of damaged cellular components by inducing their fusion with lysosomes. This process provides cells with an alternative source of energy for the synthesis of new proteins and the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis in stressful environments. Autophagy protects against cancer by mediating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Innate immune receptors and lymphocytes (T and B are modulated by autophagy, which represent innate and adaptive immune responses, respectively. Numerous studies have demonstrated beneficial roles for autophagy induction as well as its suppression of cancer cells. Autophagy may induce either survival or death depending on the cell/tissue type. Radiation therapy is commonly used to treat cancer by inducing autophagy in human cancer cell lines. Additionally, melatonin appears to affect cancer cell death by regulating programmed cell death. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of autophagy and its regulation in cancer.

Autophagy: Friend or Foe in Breast Cancer Development, Progression, and Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berardi, D.E.; Campodonico, P.B.; Bessone, M.I.D.; Urtreger, A.J.; Todaro, L.B.

2011-01-01

Autophagy is a catabolic process responsible for the degradation and recycling of long-lived proteins and organelles by lysosomes. This degradative pathway sustains cell survival during nutrient deprivation, but in some circumstances, autophagy leads to cell death. Thereby, autophagy can serve as tumor suppressor, as the reduction in autophagic capacity causes malignant transformation and spontaneous tumors. On the other hand, this process also functions as a protective cell-survival mechanism against environmental stress causing resistance to antineoplastic therapies. Although autophagy inhibition, combined with anticancer agents, could be therapeutically beneficial in some cases, autophagy induction by itself could lead to cell death in some apoptosis-resistant cancers, indicating that autophagy induction may also be used as a therapy. This paper summarizes the most important findings described in the literature about autophagy and also discusses the importance of this process in clinical settings

SIRT6 reduces macrophage foam cell formation by inducing autophagy and cholesterol efflux under ox-LDL condition.

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He, Jiangping; Zhang, Guangya; Pang, Qi; Yu, Cong; Xiong, Jie; Zhu, Jing; Chen, Fengling

2017-05-01

SIRT6 is a pivotal regulator of lipid metabolism. It is also closely connected to cardiovascular diseases, which are the main cause of death in diabetic patients. We observed a decrease in the expression of SIRT6 and key autophagy effectors (ATG5, LC3B, and LAMP1) in ox-LDL-induced foam cells, a special form of lipid-laden macrophages. In these cells, SIRT6 WT but not SIRT6 H133Y overexpression markedly reduced foam cell formation, as shown by Oil Red O staining, while inducing autophagy flux, as determined by both mRFP-GFP-LC3 labeling and transmission electron microscopy. Silencing the key autophagy initiation gene ATG5, reversed the autophagy-promoting effect of SIRT6 in ox-LDL-treated THP1 cells, as evidenced by an increase in foam cells. Cholesterol efflux assays indicated that SIRT6 overexpression in foam cells promoted cholesterol efflux, increased the levels of ABCA1 and ABCG1, and reduced miR-33 levels. By transfecting miR-33 into cells overexpressing SIRT6, we observed that reduced foam cell formation and autophagy flux induction were largely reversed. These data imply that SIRT6 plays an essential role in protecting against atherosclerosis by reducing foam cell formation through an autophagy-dependent pathway. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Cocaine induces astrocytosis through ER stress-mediated activation of autophagy

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Periyasamy, Palsamy; Guo, Ming-Lei; Buch, Shilpa

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Cocaine is known to induce inflammation, thereby contributing in part, to the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. A recent study from our lab has revealed a link between macroautophagy/autophagy and microglial activation. The current study was aimed at investigating whether cocaine could also mediate activation of astrocytes and, whether this process involved induction of autophagy. Our findings demonstrated that cocaine mediated the activation of astrocytes by altering the levels of autophagy markers, such as BECN1, ATG5, MAP1LC3B-II, and SQSTM1 in both human A172 astrocytoma cells and primary human astrocytes. Furthermore, cocaine treatment resulted in increased formation of endogenous MAP1LC3B puncta in human astrocytes. Additionally, astrocytes transfected with the GFP-MAP1LC3B plasmid also demonstrated cocaine-mediated upregulation of the green fluorescent MAP1LC3B puncta. Cocaine-mediated induction of autophagy involved upstream activation of ER stress proteins such as EIF2AK3, ERN1, ATF6 since blockage of autophagy using either pharmacological or gene-silencing approaches, had no effect on cocaine-mediated induction of ER stress. Using both pharmacological and gene-silencing approaches to block either ER stress or autophagy, our findings demonstrated that cocaine-induced activation of astrocytes (measured by increased levels of GFAP) involved sequential activation of ER stress and autophagy. Cocaine-mediated-increased upregulation of GFAP correlated with increased expression of proinflammatory mediators such as TNF, IL1B, and IL6. In conclusion, these findings reveal an association between ER stress-mediated autophagy and astrogliosis in cocaine-treated astrocytes. Intervention of ER stress and/or autophagy signaling would thus be promising therapeutic targets for abrogating cocaine-mediated neuroinflammation. PMID:27337297

The metastasis suppressor gene KISS-1 regulates osteosarcoma apoptosis and autophagy processes.

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Yin, Yiran; Tang, Lian; Shi, Lei

2017-03-01

The expression of the metastasis suppressor gene KISS-1 in osteosarcoma cells during apoptosis and autophagy was evaluated. MG-63 osteosarcoma cells were transfected with either KISS-1 overexpression or KISS-1 knockdown expression vector in vitro, and compared with cell lines transfected with empty vector. After 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of cell culture, the cell proliferation was examined. The MTT method was used to detect apoptosis by flow cytometry, and the mRNA levels of apoptosis and autophagy markers caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, LC3 and Beclin1 were assessed by RT-PCR. Our results showed that cells in the control and low expression group kept proliferating during the cell culture period of 72 h, while the cells in the overexpression group progressively decreased in number. Also, the proliferation rate of the low expression group was significantly higher than that of the control group. The relative mRNA expression levels of caspase-3 and Bax mRNA in the control and low expression group showed no change (the expression was lowest in the low expression group). Moreover, the mRNA level of Bcl-2 increased in both cell groups. The mRNA expression levels of caspase-3 and Bax in the overexpression group were increased, and the level of Bcl-2 was reduced significantly. At the same time, the relative expression level of LC3 and Beclin1 mRNA in the control and low expression groups remained the same, and that of the overexpression group increased. The mRNA levels of LC3 and Beclin1 in the overexpression group were the highest, and that of the low expression group the lowest. The differences were statistically significant (Posteosarcoma in vitro, probably by accelerating the processes of apoptosis and autophagy in the cells.

Retinoid receptor signaling and autophagy in acute promyelocytic leukemia

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Orfali, Nina; McKenna, Sharon L.; Cahill, Mary R.; Gudas, Lorraine J.; Mongan, Nigel P.

2014-01-01

Retinoids are a family of signaling molecules derived from vitamin A with well established roles in cellular differentiation. Physiologically active retinoids mediate transcriptional effects on cells through interactions with retinoic acid (RARs) and retinoid-X (RXR) receptors. Chromosomal translocations involving the RARα gene, which lead to impaired retinoid signaling, are implicated in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), alone and in combination with arsenic trioxide (ATO), restores differentiation in APL cells and promotes degradation of the abnormal oncogenic fusion protein through several proteolytic mechanisms. RARα fusion-protein elimination is emerging as critical to obtaining sustained remission and long-term cure in APL. Autophagy is a degradative cellular pathway involved in protein turnover. Both ATRA and ATO also induce autophagy in APL cells. Enhancing autophagy may therefore be of therapeutic benefit in resistant APL and could broaden the application of differentiation therapy to other cancers. Here we discuss retinoid signaling in hematopoiesis, leukemogenesis, and APL treatment. We highlight autophagy as a potential important regulator in anti-leukemic strategies. - Highlights: • Normal and aberrant retinoid signaling in hematopoiesis and leukemia is reviewed. • We suggest a novel role for RARα in the development of X-RARα gene fusions in APL. • ATRA therapy in APL activates transcription and promotes onco-protein degradation. • Autophagy may be involved in both onco-protein degradation and differentiation. • Pharmacologic autophagy induction may potentiate ATRA's therapeutic effects

Retinoid receptor signaling and autophagy in acute promyelocytic leukemia

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Orfali, Nina [Cork Cancer Research Center, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland); Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA. (United States); McKenna, Sharon L. [Cork Cancer Research Center, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland); Cahill, Mary R. [Department of Hematology, Cork University Hospital, Cork (Ireland); Gudas, Lorraine J., E-mail: ljgudas@med.cornell.edu [Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA. (United States); Mongan, Nigel P., E-mail: nigel.mongan@nottingham.ac.uk [Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, LE12 5RD (United Kingdom); Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA. (United States)

2014-05-15

Retinoids are a family of signaling molecules derived from vitamin A with well established roles in cellular differentiation. Physiologically active retinoids mediate transcriptional effects on cells through interactions with retinoic acid (RARs) and retinoid-X (RXR) receptors. Chromosomal translocations involving the RARα gene, which lead to impaired retinoid signaling, are implicated in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), alone and in combination with arsenic trioxide (ATO), restores differentiation in APL cells and promotes degradation of the abnormal oncogenic fusion protein through several proteolytic mechanisms. RARα fusion-protein elimination is emerging as critical to obtaining sustained remission and long-term cure in APL. Autophagy is a degradative cellular pathway involved in protein turnover. Both ATRA and ATO also induce autophagy in APL cells. Enhancing autophagy may therefore be of therapeutic benefit in resistant APL and could broaden the application of differentiation therapy to other cancers. Here we discuss retinoid signaling in hematopoiesis, leukemogenesis, and APL treatment. We highlight autophagy as a potential important regulator in anti-leukemic strategies. - Highlights: • Normal and aberrant retinoid signaling in hematopoiesis and leukemia is reviewed. • We suggest a novel role for RARα in the development of X-RARα gene fusions in APL. • ATRA therapy in APL activates transcription and promotes onco-protein degradation. • Autophagy may be involved in both onco-protein degradation and differentiation. • Pharmacologic autophagy induction may potentiate ATRA's therapeutic effects.

Molecular cloning and characterization of autophagy-related gene TmATG8 in Listeria-invaded hemocytes of Tenebrio molitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Tindwa, Hamisi; Jo, Yong Hun; Patnaik, Bharat Bhusan; Lee, Yong Seok; Kang, Sang Sun; Han, Yeon Soo

2015-07-01

Macroautophagy (hereinafter called autophagy) is a highly regulated process used by eukaryotic cells to digest portions of the cytoplasm that remodels and recycles nutrients and disposes of unwanted cytoplasmic constituents. Currently 36 autophagy-related genes (ATG) and their homologs have been characterized in yeast and higher eukaryotes, including insects. In the present study, we identified and functionally characterized the immune function of an ATG8 homolog in a coleopteran insect, Tenebrio molitor (TmATG8). The cDNA of TmATG8 comprises of an ORF of 363 bp that encodes a protein of 120 amino acid residues. TmATG8 transcripts are detected in all the developmental stages analyzed. TmAtg8 protein contains a highly conserved C-terminal glycine residue (Gly116) and shows high amino acid sequence identity (98%) to its Tribolium castaneum homolog, TcAtg8. Loss of function of TmATG8 by RNAi led to a significant increase in the mortality rates of T. molitor larvae against Listeria monocytogenes. Unlike dsEGFP-treated control larvae, TmATG8-silenced larvae failed to turn-on autophagy in hemocytes after injection with L. monocytogenes. These data suggest that TmATG8 play a role in mediating autophagy-based clearance of Listeria in T. molitor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spermidine and resveratrol induce autophagy by distinct pathways converging on the acetylproteome.

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Morselli, Eugenia; Mariño, Guillermo; Bennetzen, Martin V; Eisenberg, Tobias; Megalou, Evgenia; Schroeder, Sabrina; Cabrera, Sandra; Bénit, Paule; Rustin, Pierre; Criollo, Alfredo; Kepp, Oliver; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Shen, Shensi; Malik, Shoaib Ahmad; Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Horio, Yoshiyuki; López-Otín, Carlos; Andersen, Jens S; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Madeo, Frank; Kroemer, Guido

2011-02-21

Autophagy protects organelles, cells, and organisms against several stress conditions. Induction of autophagy by resveratrol requires the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). In this paper, we show that the acetylase inhibitor spermidine stimulates autophagy independent of SIRT1 in human and yeast cells as well as in nematodes. Although resveratrol and spermidine ignite autophagy through distinct mechanisms, these compounds stimulate convergent pathways that culminate in concordant modifications of the acetylproteome. Both agents favor convergent deacetylation and acetylation reactions in the cytosol and in the nucleus, respectively. Both resveratrol and spermidine were able to induce autophagy in cytoplasts (enucleated cells). Moreover, a cytoplasm-restricted mutant of SIRT1 could stimulate autophagy, suggesting that cytoplasmic deacetylation reactions dictate the autophagic cascade. At doses at which neither resveratrol nor spermidine stimulated autophagy alone, these agents synergistically induced autophagy. Altogether, these data underscore the importance of an autophagy regulatory network of antagonistic deacetylases and acetylases that can be pharmacologically manipulated.

Autophagy and Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

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Raffaele Cursio

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Liver ischemia-reperfusion (I-R injury occurs during liver resection, liver transplantation, and hemorrhagic shock. The main mode of liver cell death after warm and/or cold liver I-R is necrosis, but other modes of cell death, as apoptosis and autophagy, are also involved. Autophagy is an intracellular self-digesting pathway responsible for removal of long-lived proteins, damaged organelles, and malformed proteins during biosynthesis by lysosomes. Autophagy is found in normal and diseased liver. Although depending on the type of ischemia, warm and/or cold, the dynamic process of liver I-R results mainly in adenosine triphosphate depletion and in production of reactive oxygen species (ROS, leads to both, a local ischemic insult and an acute inflammatory-mediated reperfusion injury, and results finally in cell death. This process can induce liver dysfunction and can increase patient morbidity and mortality after liver surgery and hemorrhagic shock. Whether autophagy protects from or promotes liver injury following warm and/or cold I-R remains to be elucidated. The present review aims to summarize the current knowledge in liver I-R injury focusing on both the beneficial and the detrimental effects of liver autophagy following warm and/or cold liver I-R.

Rejuvenation of MPTP-induced human neural precursor cell senescence by activating autophagy

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Zhu, Liang [East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai (China); Dong, Chuanming [East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai (China); Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong (China); Sun, Chenxi; Ma, Rongjie; Yang, Danjing [East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai (China); Zhu, Hongwen, E-mail: hongwen_zhu@hotmail.com [Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin Academy of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin (China); Xu, Jun, E-mail: xunymc2000@yahoo.com [East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai (China)

2015-08-21

Aging of neural stem cell, which can affect brain homeostasis, may be caused by many cellular mechanisms. Autophagy dysfunction was found in aged and neurodegenerative brains. However, little is known about the relationship between autophagy and human neural stem cell (hNSC) aging. The present study used 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to treat neural precursor cells (NPCs) derived from human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line H9 and investigate related molecular mechanisms involved in this process. MPTP-treated NPCs were found to undergo premature senescence [determined by increased senescence-associated-β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, elevated intracellular reactive oxygen species level, and decreased proliferation] and were associated with impaired autophagy. Additionally, the cellular senescence phenotypes were manifested at the molecular level by a significant increase in p21 and p53 expression, a decrease in SOD2 expression, and a decrease in expression of some key autophagy-related genes such as Atg5, Atg7, Atg12, and Beclin 1. Furthermore, we found that the senescence-like phenotype of MPTP-treated hNPCs was rejuvenated through treatment with a well-known autophagy enhancer rapamycin, which was blocked by suppression of essential autophagy gene Beclin 1. Taken together, these findings reveal the critical role of autophagy in the process of hNSC aging, and this process can be reversed by activating autophagy. - Highlights: • We successfully establish hESC-derived neural precursor cells. • MPTP treatment induced senescence-like state in hESC-derived NPCs. • MPTP treatment induced impaired autophagy of hESC-derived NPCs. • MPTP-induced hESC-derived NPC senescence was rejuvenated by activating autophagy.

Autophagy is required for stem cell mobilization by G-CSF

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Leveque-El Mouttie, Lucie; Vu, Therese; Lineburg, Katie E.

2015-01-01

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is widely used clinically to prevent neutropenia after cytotoxic chemotherapy and to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for transplantation. Autophagy, a process of cytoplasmic component recycling, maintains cellular homeostasis and protects...... the cell during periods of metabolic stress or nutrient deprivation. We have observed that G-CSF activates autophagy in neutrophils and HSCs from both mouse and human donors. Furthermore, G-CSF-induced neutrophil and HSC mobilization is impaired in the absence of autophagy. In contrast, autophagy...... is dispensable for direct HSC mobilization in response to the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100. Altogether, these data demonstrate an important role for G-CSF in invoking autophagy within hematopoietic and myeloid cells and suggest that this pathway is critical for ensuring cell survival in response to clinically...

Dendrobium nobile Lindl alkaloid, a novel autophagy inducer, protects against axonal degeneration induced by Aβ25-35 in hippocampus neurons in vitro.

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Li, Li-Sheng; Lu, Yan-Liu; Nie, Jing; Xu, Yun-Yan; Zhang, Wei; Yang, Wen-Jin; Gong, Qi-Hai; Lu, Yuan-Fu; Lu, Yang; Shi, Jing-Shan

2017-04-01

Axonal degeneration is a pathological symbol in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which can be triggered by amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide deposition. Growing evidence indicates that deficit of autophagy eventually leads to the axonal degeneration. Our previous studies have shown that Dendrobium nobile Lindl alkaloid (DNLA) had protective effect on neuron impairment in vivo and in vitro; however, the underlying mechanisms is still unclear. We exposed cultured hippocampus neurons to Aβ 25-35 to investigate the effect of DNLA in vitro. Axonal degeneration was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and MTT assay. Neurons overexpressing GFP-LC3B were used to measure the formation of autophagosome. Autophagosome-lysosome fusion, the lysosomal pH, and cathepsin activity were assessed to reflect autophagy process. Proteins of interest were analyzed by Western blot. DNLA pretreatment significantly inhibited axonal degeneration induced by Aβ 25-35 peptide in vitro. Further studies revealed DNLA treatment increased autophagic flux through promoting formation and degradation of autophagosome in hippocampus neurons. Moreover, enhancement of autophagic flux was responsible for the protective effects of DNLA on axonal degeneration. DNLA prevents Aβ 25-35 -induced axonal degeneration via activation of autophagy process and could be a novel therapeutic target. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genome-wide screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae identifies vacuolar protein sorting, autophagy, biosynthetic, and tRNA methylation genes involved in life span regulation.

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Paola Fabrizio

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The study of the chronological life span of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which measures the survival of populations of non-dividing yeast, has resulted in the identification of homologous genes and pathways that promote aging in organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. Using a competitive genome-wide approach, we performed a screen of a complete set of approximately 4,800 viable deletion mutants to identify genes that either increase or decrease chronological life span. Half of the putative short-/long-lived mutants retested from the primary screen were confirmed, demonstrating the utility of our approach. Deletion of genes involved in vacuolar protein sorting, autophagy, and mitochondrial function shortened life span, confirming that respiration and degradation processes are essential for long-term survival. Among the genes whose deletion significantly extended life span are ACB1, CKA2, and TRM9, implicated in fatty acid transport and biosynthesis, cell signaling, and tRNA methylation, respectively. Deletion of these genes conferred heat-shock resistance, supporting the link between life span extension and cellular protection observed in several model organisms. The high degree of conservation of these novel yeast longevity determinants in other species raises the possibility that their role in senescence might be conserved.

Autophagy in Drosophila: From Historical Studies to Current Knowledge

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Mulakkal, Nitha C.; Nagy, Peter; Takats, Szabolcs; Tusco, Radu; Juhász, Gábor; Nezis, Ioannis P.

2014-01-01

The discovery of evolutionarily conserved Atg genes required for autophagy in yeast truly revolutionized this research field and made it possible to carry out functional studies on model organisms. Insects including Drosophila are classical and still popular models to study autophagy, starting from the 1960s. This review aims to summarize past achievements and our current knowledge about the role and regulation of autophagy in Drosophila, with an outlook to yeast and mammals. The basic mechanisms of autophagy in fruit fly cells appear to be quite similar to other eukaryotes, and the role that this lysosomal self-degradation process plays in Drosophila models of various diseases already made it possible to recognize certain aspects of human pathologies. Future studies in this complete animal hold great promise for the better understanding of such processes and may also help finding new research avenues for the treatment of disorders with misregulated autophagy. PMID:24949430

Spermidine and resveratrol induce autophagy by distinct pathways converging on the acetylproteome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morselli, Eugenia; Mariño, Guillermo; Bennetzen, Martin V

2011-01-01

Autophagy protects organelles, cells, and organisms against several stress conditions. Induction of autophagy by resveratrol requires the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). In this paper, we show that the acetylase inhibitor spermidine stimulates autophagy...... independent of SIRT1 in human and yeast cells as well as in nematodes. Although resveratrol and spermidine ignite autophagy through distinct mechanisms, these compounds stimulate convergent pathways that culminate in concordant modifications of the acetylproteome. Both agents favor convergent deacetylation...... and acetylation reactions in the cytosol and in the nucleus, respectively. Both resveratrol and spermidine were able to induce autophagy in cytoplasts (enucleated cells). Moreover, a cytoplasm-restricted mutant of SIRT1 could stimulate autophagy, suggesting that cytoplasmic deacetylation reactions dictate...

d-limonene exhibits antitumor activity by inducing autophagy and apoptosis in lung cancer.

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Yu, Xiao; Lin, Hongyan; Wang, Yu; Lv, Wenwen; Zhang, Shuo; Qian, Ying; Deng, Xiaobei; Feng, Nannan; Yu, Herbert; Qian, Biyun

2018-01-01

d-limonene is a plant extract with widespread application, and it has been recently reported to have antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects on cancer cells. However, the mechanisms by which d-limonene achieves these effects, especially in lung cancer, are not entirely clear. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effects of d-limonene on lung cancer and explore its mechanisms of action. We examined the therapeutic effects of d-limonene on lung cancer cells and in a xenograft animal model by characterizing its effects on the pathways of apoptosis and autophagy. Cell proliferation was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8, and apoptosis was determined by flow cytometric analysis. Levels of LC3 puncta, an autophagy marker, were analyzed by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Autophagy and apoptosis-related gene expression were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. d-limonene inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells and suppressed the growth of transplanted tumors in nude mice. Expression of apoptosis and autophagy-related genes were increased in tumors after treatment with d-limonene. Furthermore, the use of chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, and knockdown of the atg5 gene, suppressed the apoptosis induced by d-limonene. d-limonene may have a therapeutic effect on lung cancer as it can induce apoptosis of lung cancer cells by promoting autophagy.

A Dual Role of P53 in Regulating Colistin-Induced Autophagy in PC-12 Cells

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Ziyin Lu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of p53 in regulating colistin-induced autophagy in PC-12 cells. Importantly, cells were treated with 125 μg/ml colistin for 12 and 24 h after transfection with p53 siRNA or recombinant plasmid. The hallmarks of autophagy and apoptosis were examined by real-time PCR and western blot, fluorescence/immunofluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy. The results showed that silencing of p53 leads to down-regulation of Atg5 and beclin1 for 12 h while up-regulation at 24 h and up-regulation of p62 noted. The ratio of LC3-II/I and autophagic vacuoles were significantly increased at 24 h, but autophagy flux was blocked. The cleavage of caspase3 and PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase were enhanced, while PC-12-sip53 cells exposed to 3-MA showed down-regulation of apoptosis. By contrast, the expression of autophagy-related genes and protein reduced in p53 overexpressing cells following a time dependent manner. Meanwhile, there was an increase in the expression of activated caspase3 and PARP, condensed and fragmented nuclei were evident. Conclusively, the data supported that silencing of p53 promotes impaired autophagy, which acts as a pro-apoptotic induction factor in PC-12 cells treated with colistin for 24 h, and overexpression of p53 inhibits autophagy and accelerates apoptosis. Hence, it has been suggested that p53 could not act as a neuro-protective target in colistin-induced neurotoxicity.

Regulation of the autophagy protein LC3 by phosphorylation

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Cherra, Salvatore J.; Kulich, Scott M.; Uechi, Guy; Balasubramani, Manimalha; Mountzouris, John; Day, Billy W.

2010-01-01

Macroautophagy is a major catabolic pathway that impacts cell survival, differentiation, tumorigenesis, and neurodegeneration. Although bulk degradation sustains carbon sources during starvation, autophagy contributes to shrinkage of differentiated neuronal processes. Identification of autophagy-related genes has spurred rapid advances in understanding the recruitment of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) in autophagy induction, although braking mechanisms remain less understood. Using mass spectrometry, we identified a direct protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation site on LC3 that regulates its participation in autophagy. Both metabolic (rapamycin) and pathological (MPP+) inducers of autophagy caused dephosphorylation of endogenous LC3. The pseudophosphorylated LC3 mutant showed reduced recruitment to autophagosomes, whereas the nonphosphorylatable mutant exhibited enhanced puncta formation. Finally, autophagy-dependent neurite shortening induced by expression of a Parkinson disease–associated G2019S mutation in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 was inhibited by dibutyryl–cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cytoplasmic expression of the PKA catalytic subunit, or the LC3 phosphorylation mimic. These data demonstrate a role for phosphorylation in regulating LC3 activity. PMID:20713600

NOX4 mediates cytoprotective autophagy induced by the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib in head and neck cancer cells

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Sobhakumari, Arya; Schickling, Brandon M.; Love-Homan, Laurie; Raeburn, Ayanna; Fletcher, Elise V.M.; Case, Adam J.; Domann, Frederick E.; Miller, Francis J.

2013-01-01

Most head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) overexpress epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and EGFR inhibitors are routinely used in the treatment of HNSCC. However, many HNSCC tumors do not respond or become refractory to EGFR inhibitors. Autophagy, which is a stress-induced cellular self-degradation process, has been reported to reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy in various disease models. The purpose of this study is to determine if the efficacy of the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib is reduced by activation of autophagy via NOX4-mediated oxidative stress in HNSCC cells. Erlotinib induced the expression of the autophagy marker LC3B-II and autophagosome formation in FaDu and Cal-27 cells. Inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine and knockdown of autophagy pathway genes Beclin-1 and Atg5 sensitized both cell lines to erlotinib-induced cytotoxicity, suggesting that autophagy may serve as a protective mechanism. Treatment with catalase (CAT) and diphenylene iodonium (DPI) in the presence of erlotinib suppressed the increase in LC3B-II expression in FaDu and Cal-27 cells. Erlotinib increased NOX4 mRNA and protein expression by increasing its promoter activity and mRNA stability in FaDu cells. Knockdown of NOX4 using adenoviral siNOX4 partially suppressed erlotinib-induced LC3B-II expression, while overexpression of NOX4 increased expression of LC3B-II. These studies suggest that erlotinib may activate autophagy in HNSCC cells as a pro-survival mechanism, and NOX4 may play a role in mediating this effect. - Highlights: • Erlotinib increased LC3B-II and autophagosome formation in HNSCC cells. • Inhibition of autophagy sensitized HNSCC cells to erlotinib. • Erlotinib increased NOX4 promoter and 3′UTR luciferase activity. • Manipulating NOX4 decreases or increases autophagy

NOX4 mediates cytoprotective autophagy induced by the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib in head and neck cancer cells

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Sobhakumari, Arya [Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Department of Pathology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Schickling, Brandon M. [Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Love-Homan, Laurie; Raeburn, Ayanna [Department of Pathology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Fletcher, Elise V.M. [Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Department of Pathology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Case, Adam J. [Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program, Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Domann, Frederick E. [Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Department of Pathology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program, Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), Iowa City, IA (United States); Miller, Francis J. [Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program, Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), Iowa City, IA (United States); and others

2013-11-01

Most head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) overexpress epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and EGFR inhibitors are routinely used in the treatment of HNSCC. However, many HNSCC tumors do not respond or become refractory to EGFR inhibitors. Autophagy, which is a stress-induced cellular self-degradation process, has been reported to reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy in various disease models. The purpose of this study is to determine if the efficacy of the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib is reduced by activation of autophagy via NOX4-mediated oxidative stress in HNSCC cells. Erlotinib induced the expression of the autophagy marker LC3B-II and autophagosome formation in FaDu and Cal-27 cells. Inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine and knockdown of autophagy pathway genes Beclin-1 and Atg5 sensitized both cell lines to erlotinib-induced cytotoxicity, suggesting that autophagy may serve as a protective mechanism. Treatment with catalase (CAT) and diphenylene iodonium (DPI) in the presence of erlotinib suppressed the increase in LC3B-II expression in FaDu and Cal-27 cells. Erlotinib increased NOX4 mRNA and protein expression by increasing its promoter activity and mRNA stability in FaDu cells. Knockdown of NOX4 using adenoviral siNOX4 partially suppressed erlotinib-induced LC3B-II expression, while overexpression of NOX4 increased expression of LC3B-II. These studies suggest that erlotinib may activate autophagy in HNSCC cells as a pro-survival mechanism, and NOX4 may play a role in mediating this effect. - Highlights: • Erlotinib increased LC3B-II and autophagosome formation in HNSCC cells. • Inhibition of autophagy sensitized HNSCC cells to erlotinib. • Erlotinib increased NOX4 promoter and 3′UTR luciferase activity. • Manipulating NOX4 decreases or increases autophagy.

A close connection between the PERK and IRE arms of the UPR and the transcriptional regulation of autophagy.

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Deegan, Shane; Koryga, Izabela; Glynn, Sharon A; Gupta, Sanjeev; Gorman, Adrienne M; Samali, Afshin

2015-01-02

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is known to lead to activation of both the unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy. Although regulatory connections have been identified between the UPR and autophagy, it is still unclear to what extent the UPR regulates the genes involved at the different stages of the autophagy pathway. Here, we carried out a microarray analysis of HCT116 cells subjected to ER stress and observed the transcriptional upregulation of a large cohort of autophagy-related genes. Of particular interest, we identified the transcriptional upregulation of the autophagy receptor genes SQSTM1/p62, NBR1 and BNIP3L/NIX in response to ER stress and show that the inhibition of the UPR transmembrane receptors, PERK and IRE1, abrogates this upregulation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on the Mechanism of mTOR-Mediated Autophagy during Electroacupuncture Pretreatment against Cerebral Ischemic Injury

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Zhou-Quan Wu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study is aimed at investigating the association between the electroacupuncture (EA pretreatment-induced protective effect against early cerebral ischemic injury and autophagy. EA pretreatment can protect cerebral ischemic and reperfusion injuries, but whether the attenuation of early cerebral ischemic injury by EA pretreatment was associated with autophagy is not yet clear. This study used the middle cerebral artery occlusion model to monitor the process of ischemic injury. For rats in the EA pretreatment group, EA pretreatment was conducted at Baihui acupoint before ischemia for 30 min for 5 consecutive days. The results suggested that EA pretreatment significantly increased the expression of autophagy in the cerebral cortical area on the ischemic side of rats. But the EA pretreatment-induced protective effects on the brain could be reversed by the specific inhibitor 3-methyladenine of autophagy. Additionally, the Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the impact of EA pretreatment on p-mTOR (2481 was negatively correlated with its impact on autophagy. In conclusion, the mechanism of EA pretreatment at Baihui acupoint against cerebral ischemic injury is mainly associated with the upregulation of autophagy expression, and its regulation of autophagy may depend on mTOR-mediated signaling pathways.

Autophagy in Drosophila: From Historical Studies to Current Knowledge

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Nitha C. Mulakkal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The discovery of evolutionarily conserved Atg genes required for autophagy in yeast truly revolutionized this research field and made it possible to carry out functional studies on model organisms. Insects including Drosophila are classical and still popular models to study autophagy, starting from the 1960s. This review aims to summarize past achievements and our current knowledge about the role and regulation of autophagy in Drosophila, with an outlook to yeast and mammals. The basic mechanisms of autophagy in fruit fly cells appear to be quite similar to other eukaryotes, and the role that this lysosomal self-degradation process plays in Drosophila models of various diseases already made it possible to recognize certain aspects of human pathologies. Future studies in this complete animal hold great promise for the better understanding of such processes and may also help finding new research avenues for the treatment of disorders with misregulated autophagy.

Overexpression of the autophagy-related gene SiATG8a from foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) confers tolerance to both nitrogen starvation and drought stress in Arabidopsis.

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Li, Wei-wei; Chen, Ming; Zhong, Li; Liu, Jia-ming; Xu, Zhao-shi; Li, Lian-cheng; Zhou, Yong-Bin; Guo, Chang-Hong; Ma, You-Zhi

2015-12-25

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved biological process in all eukaryotes for the degradation of intracellular components for nutrient recycling. Autophagy is known to be involved in responses to low nitrogen stress in Arabidopsis. Foxtail millet has strong abiotic stress resistance to both low nutrient and drought stress. However, to date, there have only been a few genes reported to be related with abiotic stress resistance in foxtail millet. In this study, we identified an autophagy-related gene, SiATG8a, from foxtail millet. SiATG8a is mainly expressed in stems and its expression was dramatically induced by drought stress and nitrogen starvation treatments. SiATG8a was localized in the membrane and cytoplasm of foxtail millet. Overexpression of SiATG8a in Arabidopsis conferred tolerance to both nitrogen starvation and to drought stress. Under nitrogen starvation conditions, the SiATG8a transgenic plants had larger root and leaf areas and accumulated more total nitrogen than wild-type plants. The transgenic plants had lower total protein concentrations than did the WT plants. Under drought stress, the SiATG8a transgenic plants had higher survival rates, chlorophyll content, and proline content, but had lower MDA content than wild type plants. Taken together, our results represent the first identified case where overexpression of autophagy related gene can simultaneously improve plant resistance to low nitrogen and drought stresses. These findings implicate plant autophagy in plant stress responses to low nitrogen and drought and should be helpful in efforts to improve stresses resistance to nitrogen starvation and drought of crops by genetic transformation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crosstalk between Apoptosis and Autophagy: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies in Cancer

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Abdelouahid El-Khattouti

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Both apoptosis and autophagy are highly conserved processes that besides their role in the maintenance of the organismal and cellular homeostasis serve as a main target of tumor therapeutics. Although their important roles in the modulation of tumor therapeutic strategies have been widely reported, the molecular actions of both apoptosis and autophagy are counteracted by cancer protective mechanisms. While apoptosis is a tightly regulated process that is implicated in the removal of damaged or unwanted cells, autophagy is a cellular catabolic pathway that is involved in lysosomal degradation and recycling of proteins and organelles, and thereby is considered an important survival/protective mechanism for cancer cells in response to metabolic stress or chemotherapy. Although the relationship between autophagy and cell death is very complicated and has not been characterized in detail, the molecular mechanisms that control this relationship are considered to be a relevant target for the development of a therapeutic strategy for tumor treatment. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis, autophagy, and those of the crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy in order to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that may be essential for the balance between cell survival and death as well as their role as targets for the development of novel therapeutic approaches.

Non-canonical autophagy: an exception or an underestimated form of autophagy?

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Scarlatti, Francesca; Maffei, Roberta; Beau, Isabelle; Ghidoni, Riccardo; Codogno, Patrice

2008-11-01

Macroautophagy (hereafter called autophagy) is a dynamic and evolutionarily conserved process used to sequester and degrade cytoplasm and entire organelles in a sequestering vesicle with a double membrane, known as the autophagosome, which ultimately fuses with a lysosome to degrade its autophagic cargo. Recently, we have unraveled two distinct forms of autophagy in cancer cells, which we term canonical and non-canonical autophagy. In contrast to classical or canonical autophagy, non-canonical autophagy is a process that does not require the entire set of autophagy-related (Atg) proteins in particular Beclin 1, to form the autophagosome. Non-canonical autophagy is therefore not blocked by the knockdown of Beclin 1 or of its binding partner hVps34. Moreover overexpression of Bcl-2, which is known to block canonical starvation-induced autophagy by binding to Beclin 1, is unable to reverse the non-canonical autophagy triggered by the polyphenol resveratrol in the breast cancer MCF-7 cell line. In MCF-7 cells, at least, non-canonical autophagy is involved in the caspase-independent cell death induced by resveratrol.

Autophagy mediates cytotoxicity of human colorectal cancer cells treated with garcinielliptone FC.

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Won, Shen-Jeu; Yen, Cheng-Hsin; Lin, Ting-Yu; Jiang-Shieh, Ya-Fen; Lin, Chun-Nan; Chen, Jyun-Ti; Su, Chun-Li

2018-01-01

The tautomeric pair of garcinielliptone FC (GFC) is a novel tautomeric pair of polyprenyl benzophenonoid isolated from the pericarps of Garcinia subelliptica Merr. (G. subelliptica, Clusiaceae), a tree with abundant sources of polyphenols. Our previous report demonstrated that GFC induced apoptosis on various types of human cancer cell lines including chemoresistant human colorectal cancer HT-29 cells. In the present study, we observed that many autophagy-related genes in GFC-treated HT-29 cells were up- and down-regulated using a cDNA microarray containing oncogenes and kinase genes. GFC-induced autophagy of HT-29 cells was confirmed by observing the formation of acidic vesicular organelles, LC3 puncta, and double-membrane autophagic vesicles using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Inhibition of AKT/mTOR/P70S6K signaling as well as formation of Atg5-Atg12 and PI3K/Beclin-1 complexes were observed using Western blot. Administration of autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine and shRNA Atg5) and apoptosis inhibitor Z-VAD showed that the GFC-induced autophagy was cytotoxic form and GFC-induced apoptosis enhanced GFC-induced autophagy. Our data suggest the involvement of autophagy and apoptosis in GFC-induced anticancer mechanisms of human colorectal cancer. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhanced Production of Bovine Chymosin by Autophagy Deficiency in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus oryzae

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Maruyama, Jun-ichi; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko

2013-01-01

Aspergillus oryzae has been utilized as a host for heterologous protein production because of its high protein secretory capacity and food-safety properties. However, A. oryzae often produces lower-than-expected yields of target heterologous proteins due to various underlying mechanisms, including degradation processes such as autophagy, which may be a significant bottleneck for protein production. In the present study, we examined the production of heterologous protein in several autophagy (Aoatg) gene disruptants of A. oryzae. We transformed A. oryzae gene disruptants of Aoatg1, Aoatg13, Aoatg4, Aoatg8, or Aoatg15, with a bovine chymosin (CHY) expression construct and found that the production levels of CHY increased up to three fold compared to the control strain. Notably, however, conidia formation by the Aoatg gene disruptants was significantly reduced. As large amounts of conidia are necessary for inoculating large-scale cultures, we also constructed Aoatg gene-conditional expression strains in which the promoter region of the Aoatg gene was replaced with the thiamine-controllable thiA promoter. Conidiation by the resultant transformants was clearly enhanced in the absence of thiamine, while autophagy remained repressed in the presence of thiamine. Moreover, these transformants displayed increased CHY productivity, which was comparable to that of the Aoatg gene disruptants. Consequently, we succeeded in the construction of A. oryzae strains capable of producing high levels of CHY due to defects in autophagy. Our finding suggests that the conditional regulation of autophagy is an effective method for increasing heterologous protein production in A. oryzae. PMID:23658635

Canine hereditary ataxia in old english sheepdogs and gordon setters is associated with a defect in the autophagy gene encoding RAB24.

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Caryline Agler

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Old English Sheepdogs and Gordon Setters suffer from a juvenile onset, autosomal recessive form of canine hereditary ataxia primarily affecting the Purkinje neuron of the cerebellar cortex. The clinical and histological characteristics are analogous to hereditary ataxias in humans. Linkage and genome-wide association studies on a cohort of related Old English Sheepdogs identified a region on CFA4 strongly associated with the disease phenotype. Targeted sequence capture and next generation sequencing of the region identified an A to C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP located at position 113 in exon 1 of an autophagy gene, RAB24, that segregated with the phenotype. Genotyping of six additional breeds of dogs affected with hereditary ataxia identified the same polymorphism in affected Gordon Setters that segregated perfectly with phenotype. The other breeds tested did not have the polymorphism. Genome-wide SNP genotyping of Gordon Setters identified a 1.9 MB region with an identical haplotype to affected Old English Sheepdogs. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural evaluation of the brains of affected dogs from both breeds identified dramatic Purkinje neuron loss with axonal spheroids, accumulation of autophagosomes, ubiquitin positive inclusions and a diffuse increase in cytoplasmic neuronal ubiquitin staining. These findings recapitulate the changes reported in mice with induced neuron-specific autophagy defects. Taken together, our results suggest that a defect in RAB24, a gene associated with autophagy, is highly associated with and may contribute to canine hereditary ataxia in Old English Sheepdogs and Gordon Setters. This finding suggests that detailed investigation of autophagy pathways should be undertaken in human hereditary ataxia.

bZIP transcription factor SmJLB1 regulates autophagy-related genes Smatg8 and Smatg4 and is required for fruiting-body development and vegetative growth in Sordaria macrospora.

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Voigt, Oliver; Herzog, Britta; Jakobshagen, Antonia; Pöggeler, Stefanie

2013-12-01

Autophagy is a precisely controlled degradation process in eukaryotic cells, during which the bulk of the cytoplasm is engulfed by a double membrane vesicle, the autophagosome. Fusion of the autophagosome with the vacuole leads to breakdown of its contents, such as proteins and organelles, and the recycling of nutrients. Earlier studies of autophagic genes of the core autophagic machinery in the filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora elucidated the impact of autophagy on fungal viability, vegetative growth and fruiting-body development. To gain further knowledge about the regulation of autophagy in S. macrospora, we analyzed the function of the bZIP transcription factor SmJLB1, a homolog of the Podospora anserina basic zipper-type transcription factor induced during incompatibility 4 (IDI-4) and the Aspergillus nidulans transcription factor jun-like bZIP A (JlbA). Generation of the homokaryotic deletion mutant demonstrated S. macrospora Smjlb1 is associated with autophagy-dependent processes. Deletion of Smjlb1 abolished fruiting-body formation and impaired vegetative growth. SmJLB1 is localized to the cytoplasm and to nuclei. Quantitative real-time PCR experiments revealed an upregulated expression of autophagy-related genes Smatg8 and Smatg4 in the Smjlb1 deletion mutant, suggesting a transcriptional repression function of SmJLB1. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Diversity in a Cell Surface Receptor that Inhibits Autophagy.

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Chaudhary, Anu; Leite, Mara; Kulasekara, Bridget R; Altura, Melissa A; Ogahara, Cassandra; Weiss, Eli; Fu, Wenqing; Blanc, Marie-Pierre; O'Keeffe, Michael; Terhorst, Cox; Akey, Joshua M; Miller, Samuel I

2016-07-25

Mutations in genes encoding autophagy proteins have been associated with human autoimmune diseases, suggesting that diversity in autophagy responses could be associated with disease susceptibility or severity. A cellular genome-wide association study (GWAS) screen was performed to explore normal human diversity in responses to rapamycin, a microbial product that induces autophagy. Cells from several human populations demonstrated variability in expression of a cell surface receptor, CD244 (SlamF4, 2B4), that correlated with changes in rapamycin-induced autophagy. High expression of CD244 and receptor activation with its endogenous ligand CD48 inhibited starvation- and rapamycin-induced autophagy by promoting association of CD244 with the autophagy complex proteins Vps34 and Beclin-1. The association of CD244 with this complex reduced Vps34 lipid kinase activity. Lack of CD244 is associated with auto-antibody production in mice, and lower expression of human CD244 has previously been implicated in severity of human rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, indicating that increased autophagy as a result of low levels of CD244 may alter disease outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Targeting autophagy in cancer management – strategies and developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozpolat, Bulent; Benbrook, Doris M

2015-01-01

Autophagy is a highly regulated catabolic process involving lysosomal degradation of intracellular components, damaged organelles, misfolded proteins, and toxic aggregates, reducing oxidative stress and protecting cells from damage. The process is also induced in response to various conditions, including nutrient deprivation, metabolic stress, hypoxia, anticancer therapeutics, and radiation therapy to adapt cellular conditions for survival. Autophagy can function as a tumor suppressor mechanism in normal cells and dysregulation of this process (ie, monoallelic Beclin-1 deletion) may lead to malignant transformation and carcinogenesis. In tumors, autophagy is thought to promote tumor growth and progression by helping cells to adapt and survive in metabolically-challenged and harsh tumor microenvironments (ie, hypoxia and acidity). Recent in vitro and in vivo studies in preclinical models suggested that modulation of autophagy can be used as a therapeutic modality to enhance the efficacy of conventional therapies, including chemo and radiation therapy. Currently, more than 30 clinical trials are investigating the effects of autophagy inhibition in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapies and targeted agents in various cancers. In this review, we will discuss the role, molecular mechanism, and regulation of autophagy, while targeting this process as a novel therapeutic modality, in various cancers

Autophagy in Neurodegeneration: Can't Digest It, Spit It Out!

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Barthet, Valentin J A; Ryan, Kevin M

2018-03-01

The autophagy-lysosome pathway maintains cellular homeostasis and protects against neurodegenerative disorders. Recent findings show that autophagy can be impaired in these diseases, and that the cell activates an alternative Golgi-mediated degradation pathway, leading to expulsion of toxic protein aggregates. Ultimately this process leads to nuclear breakdown and neuronal cell death. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Andrographolide protects mouse astrocytes against hypoxia injury by promoting autophagy and S100B expression

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Juan Du

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Andrographolide (ANDRO has been studied for its immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotection effects. Because brain hypoxia is the most common factor of secondary brain injury after traumatic brain injury, we studied the role and possible mechanism of ANDRO in this process using hypoxia-injured astrocytes. Mouse cortical astrocytes C8-D1A (astrocyte type I clone from C57/BL6 strains were subjected to 3 and 21% of O2 for various times (0–12 h to establish an astrocyte hypoxia injury model in vitro. After hypoxia and ANDRO administration, the changes in cell viability and apoptosis were assessed using CCK-8 and flow cytometry. Expression changes in apoptosis-related proteins, autophagy-related proteins, main factors of JNK pathway, ATG5, and S100B were determined by western blot. Hypoxia remarkably damaged C8-D1A cells evidenced by reduction of cell viability and induction of apoptosis. Hypoxia also induced autophagy and overproduction of S100B. ANDRO reduced cell apoptosis and promoted cell autophagy and S100B expression. After ANDRO administration, autophagy-related proteins, S-100B, JNK pathway proteins, and ATG5 were all upregulated, while autophagy-related proteins and s100b were downregulated when the jnk pathway was inhibited or ATG5 was knocked down. ANDRO conferred a survival advantage to hypoxia-injured astrocytes by reducing cell apoptosis and promoting autophagy and s100b expression. Furthermore, the promotion of autophagy and s100b expression by ANDRO was via activation of jnk pathway and regulation of ATG5.

Distinct roles of autophagy-dependent and -independent functions of FIP200 revealed by generation and analysis of a mutant knock-in mouse model

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Chen, Song; Wang, Chenran; Yeo, Syn; Liang, Chun-Chi; Okamoto, Takako; Sun, Shaogang; Wen, Jian; Guan, Jun-Lin

2016-01-01

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process controlled through a set of essential autophagy genes (Atgs). However, there is increasing evidence that most, if not all, Atgs also possess functions independent of their requirement in canonical autophagy, making it difficult to distinguish the contributions of autophagy-dependent or -independent functions of a particular Atg to various biological processes. To distinguish these functions for FIP200 (FAK family-interacting protein of 200 kDa), an Atg in autophagy induction, we examined FIP200 interaction with its autophagy partner, Atg13. We found that residues 582–585 (LQFL) in FIP200 are required for interaction with Atg13, and mutation of these residues to AAAA (designated the FIP200-4A mutant) abolished its canonical autophagy function in vitro. Furthermore, we created a FIP200-4A mutant knock-in mouse model and found that specifically blocking FIP200 interaction with Atg13 abolishes autophagy in vivo, providing direct support for the essential role of the ULK1/Atg13/FIP200/Atg101 complex in the process beyond previous studies relying on the complete knockout of individual components. Analysis of the new mouse model showed that nonautophagic functions of FIP200 are sufficient to fully support embryogenesis by maintaining a protective role in TNFα-induced apoptosis. However, FIP200-mediated canonical autophagy is required to support neonatal survival and tumor cell growth. These studies provide the first genetic evidence linking an Atg's autophagy and nonautophagic functions to different biological processes in vivo. PMID:27013233

Horning cell self-digestion: Autophagy wins the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

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Po-Yuan Ke

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process by which eukaryotic cells eliminate intracellular components via the lysosomal degradation process. This cell self-digestion process was first discovered and morphologically characterized in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genetic screen studies in baker's yeast in the 1990s further identified the essential genes functioning in the autophagic process. In the past two decades, the detailed molecular process involved in the completion of autophagy was delineated. Additionally, autophagy has been implied to function in many aspects of biological processes, including maintenance of organelle integrity, protein quality control, regulation of the stress response, and immunity. In addition to maintain cell homeostasis, autophagy has recently been shown to be modulated and to participate in the pathogenesis of human diseases, such as pathogen infections, neurodegenerative diseases, and tumor development. Overall, the breakthrough in autophagy research relies on the discovery of autophagy-related genes (ATGs using a genetic screening approach in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which was established by Yoshinori Ohsumi. This year the Nobel Committee has awarded Yoshinori Ohsumi the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his remarkable contribution to autophagy research.

Drp1-Dependent Mitochondrial Autophagy Plays a Protective Role Against Pressure Overload-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Heart Failure.

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Shirakabe, Akihiro; Zhai, Peiyong; Ikeda, Yoshiyuki; Saito, Toshiro; Maejima, Yasuhiro; Hsu, Chiao-Po; Nomura, Masatoshi; Egashira, Kensuke; Levine, Beth; Sadoshima, Junichi

2016-03-29

Mitochondrial autophagy is an important mediator of mitochondrial quality control in cardiomyocytes. The occurrence of mitochondrial autophagy and its significance during cardiac hypertrophy are not well understood. Mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and observed at multiple time points up to 30 days. Cardiac hypertrophy developed after 5 days, the ejection fraction was reduced after 14 days, and heart failure was observed 30 days after TAC. General autophagy was upregulated between 1 and 12 hours after TAC but was downregulated below physiological levels 5 days after TAC. Mitochondrial autophagy, evaluated by electron microscopy, mitochondrial content, and Keima with mitochondrial localization signal, was transiently activated at ≈3 to 7 days post-TAC, coinciding with mitochondrial translocation of Drp1. However, it was downregulated thereafter, followed by mitochondrial dysfunction. Haploinsufficiency of Drp1 abolished mitochondrial autophagy and exacerbated the development of both mitochondrial dysfunction and heart failure after TAC. Injection of Tat-Beclin 1, a potent inducer of autophagy, but not control peptide, on day 7 after TAC, partially rescued mitochondrial autophagy and attenuated mitochondrial dysfunction and heart failure induced by overload. Haploinsufficiency of either drp1 or beclin 1 prevented the rescue by Tat-Beclin 1, suggesting that its effect is mediated in part through autophagy, including mitochondrial autophagy. Mitochondrial autophagy is transiently activated and then downregulated in the mouse heart in response to pressure overload. Downregulation of mitochondrial autophagy plays an important role in mediating the development of mitochondrial dysfunction and heart failure, whereas restoration of mitochondrial autophagy attenuates dysfunction in the heart during pressure overload. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

EVA1A/TMEM166 Regulates Embryonic Neurogenesis by Autophagy

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Mengtao Li

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Self-renewal and differentiation of neural stem cells is essential for embryonic neurogenesis, which is associated with cell autophagy. However, the mechanism by which autophagy regulates neurogenesis remains undefined. Here, we show that Eva1a/Tmem166, an autophagy-related gene, regulates neural stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Eva1a depletion impaired the generation of newborn neurons, both in vivo and in vitro. Conversely, overexpression of EVA1A enhanced newborn neuron generation and maturation. Moreover, Eva1a depletion activated the PIK3CA-AKT axis, leading to the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin and the subsequent inhibition of autophagy. Furthermore, addition of methylpyruvate to the culture during neural stem cell differentiation rescued the defective embryonic neurogenesis induced by Eva1a depletion, suggesting that energy availability is a significant factor in embryonic neurogenesis. Collectively, these data demonstrated that EVA1A regulates embryonic neurogenesis by modulating autophagy. Our results have potential implications for understanding the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders caused by autophagy dysregulation.

SIRT1 inactivation induces inflammation through the dysregulation of autophagy in human THP-1 cells

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Takeda-Watanabe, Ai; Kitada, Munehiro; Kanasaki, Keizo; Koya, Daisuke

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► SIRT1 inactivation decreases autophagy in THP-1 cell. ► Inhibition of autophagy induces inflammation. ► SIRT1 inactivation induces inflammation through NF-κB activation. ► The p62/Sqstm1 accumulation by impairment of autophagy is related to NF-κB activation. ► SIRT1 inactivation is involved in the activation of mTOR and decreased AMPK activation. -- Abstract: Inflammation plays a crucial role in atherosclerosis. Monocytes/macrophages are some of the cells involved in the inflammatory process in atherogenesis. Autophagy exerts a protective effect against cellular stresses like inflammation, and it is regulated by nutrient-sensing pathways. The nutrient-sensing pathway includes SIRT1, a NAD + -dependent histone deacetylase, which is implicated in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes including inflammation and autophagy. The mechanism through which the dysfunction of SIRT1 contributes to the regulation of inflammation in relation to autophagy in monocytes/macrophages is unclear. In the present study, we demonstrate that treatment with 2-[(2-Hydroxynaphthalen-1-ylmethylene)amino]-N-(1-phenethyl)benzamide (Sirtinol), a chemical inhibitor of SIRT1, induces the overexpression of inflammation-related genes such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 through nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling activation, which is associated with autophagy dysfunction, as shown through p62/Sqstm1 accumulation and decreased expression of light chain (LC) 3 II in THP-1 cells. The autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, also induces inflammation-related NF-κB activation. In p62/Sqstm1 knockdown cells, Sirtinol-induced inflammation through NF-κB activation is blocked. In addition, inhibition of SIRT1 is involved in the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and is implicated in decreased 5′-AMP activated kinase (AMPK) activation, leading to the impairment of autophagy. The mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, abolishes

SIRT1 inactivation induces inflammation through the dysregulation of autophagy in human THP-1 cells

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Takeda-Watanabe, Ai; Kitada, Munehiro; Kanasaki, Keizo [Diabetology and Endocrinology, Kanazawa Medical University, Kahoku-Gun, Ishikawa (Japan); Koya, Daisuke, E-mail: koya0516@kanazawa-med.ac.jp [Diabetology and Endocrinology, Kanazawa Medical University, Kahoku-Gun, Ishikawa (Japan)

2012-10-12

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SIRT1 inactivation decreases autophagy in THP-1 cell. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Inhibition of autophagy induces inflammation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SIRT1 inactivation induces inflammation through NF-{kappa}B activation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The p62/Sqstm1 accumulation by impairment of autophagy is related to NF-{kappa}B activation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SIRT1 inactivation is involved in the activation of mTOR and decreased AMPK activation. -- Abstract: Inflammation plays a crucial role in atherosclerosis. Monocytes/macrophages are some of the cells involved in the inflammatory process in atherogenesis. Autophagy exerts a protective effect against cellular stresses like inflammation, and it is regulated by nutrient-sensing pathways. The nutrient-sensing pathway includes SIRT1, a NAD{sup +}-dependent histone deacetylase, which is implicated in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes including inflammation and autophagy. The mechanism through which the dysfunction of SIRT1 contributes to the regulation of inflammation in relation to autophagy in monocytes/macrophages is unclear. In the present study, we demonstrate that treatment with 2-[(2-Hydroxynaphthalen-1-ylmethylene)amino]-N-(1-phenethyl)benzamide (Sirtinol), a chemical inhibitor of SIRT1, induces the overexpression of inflammation-related genes such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-{alpha} and interleukin (IL)-6 through nuclear factor (NF)-{kappa}B signaling activation, which is associated with autophagy dysfunction, as shown through p62/Sqstm1 accumulation and decreased expression of light chain (LC) 3 II in THP-1 cells. The autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, also induces inflammation-related NF-{kappa}B activation. In p62/Sqstm1 knockdown cells, Sirtinol-induced inflammation through NF-{kappa}B activation is blocked. In addition, inhibition of SIRT1 is involved in the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and

Role of Autophagy in Glycogen Breakdown and Its Relevance to Chloroquine Myopathy

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Zirin, Jonathan; Nieuwenhuis, Joppe; Perrimon, Norbert

2013-01-01

Several myopathies are associated with defects in autophagic and lysosomal degradation of glycogen, but it remains unclear how glycogen is targeted to the lysosome and what significance this process has for muscle cells. We have established a Drosophila melanogaster model to study glycogen autophagy in skeletal muscles, using chloroquine (CQ) to simulate a vacuolar myopathy that is completely dependent on the core autophagy genes. We show that autophagy is required for the most efficient degradation of glycogen in response to starvation. Furthermore, we show that CQ-induced myopathy can be improved by reduction of either autophagy or glycogen synthesis, the latter possibly due to a direct role of Glycogen Synthase in regulating autophagy through its interaction with Atg8. PMID:24265594

The regulation of autophagy differentially affects Trypanosoma cruzi metacyclogenesis.

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María Cristina Vanrell

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a cellular process required for the removal of aged organelles and cytosolic components through lysosomal degradation. All types of eukaryotic cells from yeasts to mammalian cells have the machinery to activate autophagy as a result of many physiological and pathological situations. The most frequent stimulus of autophagy is starvation and the result, in this case, is the fast generation of utilizable food (e.g. amino acids and basic nutrients to maintain the vital biological processes. In some organisms, starvation also triggers other associated processes such as differentiation. The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi undergoes a series of differentiation processes throughout its complex life cycle. Although not all autophagic genes have been identified in the T. cruzi genome, previous works have demonstrated the presence of essential autophagic-related proteins. Under starvation conditions, TcAtg8, which is the parasite homolog of Atg8/LC3 in other organisms, is located in autophagosome-like vesicles. In this work, we have characterized the autophagic pathway during T. cruzi differentiation from the epimastigote to metacyclic trypomastigote form, a process called metacyclogenesis. We demonstrated that autophagy is stimulated during metacyclogenesis and that the induction of autophagy promotes this process. Moreover, with exception of bafilomycin, other classical autophagy modulators have similar effects on T. cruzi autophagy. We also showed that spermidine and related polyamines can positively regulate parasite autophagy and differentiation. We concluded that both polyamine metabolism and autophagy are key processes during T. cruzi metacyclogenesis that could be exploited as drug targets to avoid the parasite cycle progression.

Taurine protects against As2O3-induced autophagy in pancreas of rat offsprings through Nrf2/Trx pathway.

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Bai, Jie; Yao, Xiaofeng; Jiang, Liping; Qiu, Tianming; Liu, Shuang; Qi, Baoxu; Zheng, Yue; Kong, Yuan; Yang, Guang; Chen, Min; Liu, Xiaofang; Sun, Xiance

2016-04-01

Arsenic was increasingly to blame as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. In our previous study, we had found iAs stimulated autophagic flux and caused autophagic cell death through ROS pathway in INS-1 cells. Since NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and the thioredoxin (Trx) system was a crucial line of defense against ROS, we investigated whether Nrf2/Trx pathway contributed to As2O3-stimulated autophagy and the role of taurine in this study. After treatment with 2 mg/kg BW-8 mg/kg BW As2O3 for 57 d, the expression of Nrf2 protein was decreased significantly in offsprings' pancreas. The expression of Trx gene was decreased significantly in pancreas subsequently. Finally, the generation of reactive oxygen species stimulated autophagy in arsenic-treated pancreas. Taurine could reverse arsenic-inhibited Nrf2 and Trx and inhibit autophagy. In short, inhibition of Nrf2/Trx pathway might play an important role in the pathogenesis of arsenic-related diabetes. Taurine could serve as nutrition supplementation against arsenic-related diabetes in high arsenic exposure area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

Pollination induces autophagy in petunia petals via ethylene.

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Shibuya, Kenichi; Niki, Tomoko; Ichimura, Kazuo

2013-02-01

Autophagy is one of the main mechanisms of degradation and remobilization of macromolecules, and it appears to play an important role in petal senescence. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy in petal senescence. Autophagic processes were observed by electron microscopy and monodansylcadaverine staining of senescing petals of petunia (Petunia hybrida); autophagy-related gene 8 (ATG8) homologues were isolated from petunia and the regulation of expression was analysed. Nutrient remobilization was also examined during pollination-induced petal senescence. Active autophagic processes were observed in the mesophyll cells of senescing petunia petals. Pollination induced the expression of PhATG8 homologues and was accompanied by an increase in ethylene production. Ethylene inhibitor treatment in pollinated flowers delayed the induction of PhATG8 homologues, and ethylene treatment rapidly upregulated PhATG8 homologues in petunia petals. Dry weight and nitrogen content were decreased in the petals and increased in the ovaries after pollination in detached flowers. These results indicated that pollination induces autophagy and that ethylene is a key regulator of autophagy in petal senescence of petunia. The data also demonstrated the translocation of nutrients from the petals to the ovaries during pollination-induced petal senescence.

Autophagy is required for the activation of NFκB.

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Criollo, Alfredo; Chereau, Fanny; Malik, Shoaib Ahmad; Niso-Santano, Mireia; Mariño, Guillermo; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Baud, Véronique; Kroemer, Guido

2012-01-01

It is well-established that the activation of the inhibitor of NFκB (IκBα) kinase (IKK) complex is required for autophagy induction by multiple stimuli. Here, we show that in autophagy-competent mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), distinct autophagic triggers, including starvation, mTOR inhibition with rapamycin and p53 inhibition with cyclic pifithrin α lead to the activation of IKK, followed by the phosphorylation-dependent degradation of IκBα and nuclear translocation of NFκB. Remarkably, the NFκB signaling pathway was blocked in MEFs lacking either the essential autophagy genes Atg5 or Atg7. In addition, we found that tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced NFκB nuclear translocation is abolished in both Atg5- and Atg7-deficient MEFs. Similarly, the depletion of essential autophagy modulators, including ATG5, ATG7, Beclin 1 and VPS34, by RNA interference inhibited TNFα-driven NFκB activation in two human cancer cell lines. In conclusion, it appears that, at least in some instances, autophagy is required for NFκB activation, highlighting an intimate crosstalk between these two stress response signaling pathways.

Cloning, expression analysis, and RNA interference study of a HORMA domain containing autophagy-related gene 13 (ATG13) from the coleopteran beetle, Tenebrio molitor

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Lee, Jung Hee; Jo, Yong Hun; Patnaik, Bharat Bhusan; Park, Ki Beom; Tindwa, Hamisi; Seo, Gi Won; Chandrasekar, Raman; Lee, Yong Seok; Han, Yeon Soo

2015-01-01

Autophagy is a process that is necessary during starvation, as it replenishes metabolic precursors by eliminating damaged organelles. Autophagy is mediated by more than 35 autophagy-related (Atg) proteins that participate in the nucleation, elongation, and curving of the autophagosome membrane. In a pursuit to address the role of autophagy during development and immune resistance of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, we screened ATG gene sequences from the whole-larva transcriptome database. We identified a homolog of ATG13 gene in T. molitor (designated as TmATG13) that comprises a cDNA of 1176 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 391 amino acids. Analyses of the structure-specific features of TmAtg13 showed an intrinsically disordered middle and C-terminal region that was rich in regulatory phosphorylation sites. The N-terminal Atg13 domain had a HORMA (Hop1, Rev7, and Mad2) fold containing amino acid residues conserved across the Atg13 insect orthologs. A quantitative reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that TmATG13 was expressed ubiquitously during all developmental stages of the insect. TmATG13 mRNA expression was high in the fat body and gut of the larval and adult stages of the insect. The TmATG13 transcripts were expressed at a high level until 6 days of ovarian development, followed by a significant decline. Silencing of ATG13 transcripts in T. molitor larvae showed a reduced survivability of 39 and 38% in response to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus infection. Furthermore, the role of TmAtg13 in initiating autophagy as a part of the host cell autophagic complex of the host cells against the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is currently under study and will be critical to unfold the structure-function relationships. PMID:26136688

Neferine reduces cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by enhancing autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

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Li, Hui; Tang, Yuling; Wen, Long; Kong, Xianglong; Chen, Xuelian; Liu, Ping; Zhou, Zhiguo; Chen, Wenhang; Xiao, Chenggen; Xiao, Ping; Xiao, Xiangcheng

2017-03-11

Cisplatin is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents; however, its clinical use is limited by serious side effects of which nephrotoxicity is the most important. Nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin is closely associated with autophagy reduction and caspase activation. In this study, we investigated whether neferine, an autophagy inducer, had a protective effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. In an in vitro cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity model, we determined that neferine was able to induce autophagy and that pretreatment with neferine not only attenuated cisplatin-induced cell apoptosis but further activated cell autophagy. This pro-survival effect was abolished by the autophagic flux inhibitor chloroquine. Furthermore, neferine pretreatment activated the AMPK/mTOR pathway; however, pharmacological inhibition of AMPK abolished neferine-mediated autophagy and nephroprotection against cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Collectively, our findings suggest for the first time the possible protective mechanism of neferine, which is crucial for its further development as a potential therapeutic agent for cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A dual role of p53 in the control of autophagy.

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Tasdemir, Ezgi; Chiara Maiuri, M; Morselli, Eugenia; Criollo, Alfredo; D'Amelio, Marcello; Djavaheri-Mergny, Mojgan; Cecconi, Francesco; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Kroemer, Guido

2008-08-01

Genotoxic stress can induce autophagy in a p53-dependent fashion and p53 can transactivate autophagy-inducing genes. We have observed recently that inactivation of p53 by deletion, depletion or inhibition can trigger autophagy. Thus, human and mouse cells subjected to knockout, knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of p53 manifest signs of autophagy such as depletion of p62/SQSTM1, LC3 lipidation, redistribution of GFP-LC3 in cytoplasmic puncta, and accumulation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes, both in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of p53 causes autophagy in enucleated cells, indicating that the cytoplasmic, non-nuclear pool of p53 can regulate autophagy. Accordingly, retransfection of p53(-/-) cells with wild-type p53 as well as a p53 mutant that is excluded from the nucleus (due to the deletion of the nuclear localization sequence) can inhibit autophagy, whereas retransfection with a nucleus-restricted p53 mutant (in which the nuclear localization sequence has been deleted) does not inhibit autophagy. Several distinct autophagy inducers (e.g., starvation, rapamycin, lithium, tunicamycin and thapsigargin) stimulate the rapid degradation of p53. In these conditions, inhibition of the p53-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase HDM2 can avoid p53 depletion and simultaneously prevent the activation of autophagy. Moreover, a p53 mutant that lacks the HDM2 ubiquitinylation site and hence is more stable than wild-type p53 is particularly efficient in suppressing autophagy. In conclusion, p53 plays a dual role in the control of autophagy. On the one hand, nuclear p53 can induce autophagy through transcriptional effects. On the other hand, cytoplasmic p53 may act as a master repressor of autophagy.

Crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy within the Beclin 1 interactome.

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Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Criollo, Alfredo; Kroemer, Guido

2010-02-03

Although the essential genes for autophagy (Atg) have been identified, the molecular mechanisms through which Atg proteins control 'self eating' in mammalian cells remain elusive. Beclin 1 (Bec1), the mammalian orthologue of yeast Atg6, is part of the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) complex that induces autophagy. The first among an increasing number of Bec1-interacting proteins that has been identified is the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. The dissociation of Bec1 from Bcl-2 is essential for its autophagic activity, and Bcl-2 only inhibits autophagy when it is present in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A paper in this issue of the EMBO Journal has identified a novel protein, NAF-1 (nutrient-deprivation autophagy factor-1), that binds Bcl-2 at the ER. NAF-1 is a component of the inositol-1,4,5 trisphosphate (IP3) receptor complex, which contributes to the interaction of Bcl-2 with Bec1 and is required for Bcl-2 to functionally antagonize Bec1-mediated autophagy. This work provides mechanistic insights into how autophagy- and apoptosis-regulatory molecules crosstalk at the ER.

Chemo-tolerance and sensitization by short-term fasting: The autophagy connection

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Gustav Van Niekerk

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Preclinical studies suggest that fasting prior to chemotherapy may be an effective strategy to protect patients against the adverse effects of chemo-toxicity. Fasting may also sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy. It is further suggested that fasting may similarly augment the efficacy of oncolytic viral therapy. The primary mechanism mediating these beneficial effects is thought to relate to the fact that fasting results in a decrease of circulating growth factors. In turn, such fasting cues would prompt normal cells to redirect energy towards cell maintenance and repair processes, rather than growth and proliferation. However, fasting is also known to up-regulate autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process that is up-regulated in response to various cell stressors. Here we review a number of mechanisms by which fasting-induced autophagy may have an impact on both chemo-tolerance and chemo-sensitization. Firstly, fasting may exert a protective effect by mobilizing autophagic components prior to chemo-induction. In turn, the autophagic apparatus can be repurposed for removing cellular components damaged by chemotherapy. Autophagy also plays a key role in epitope expression as well as in modulating inflammation. Chemo-sensitization resulting from fasting may in fact be an effect of enhanced immune surveillance as a result of better autophagy-dependent epitope processing. Finally, autophagy is involved in host defense against viruses, and aspects of the autophagic process are also often targets for viral subversion. Consequently, altering autophagic flux by fasting may alter viral infectivity. These observations suggest that fasting-induced autophagy may have an impact on therapeutic efficacy in various oncological contexts.

Polycystin-2-dependent control of cardiomyocyte autophagy.

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Criollo, Alfredo; Altamirano, Francisco; Pedrozo, Zully; Schiattarella, Gabriele G; Li, Dan L; Rivera-Mejías, Pablo; Sotomayor-Flores, Cristian; Parra, Valentina; Villalobos, Elisa; Battiprolu, Pavan K; Jiang, Nan; May, Herman I; Morselli, Eugenia; Somlo, Stefan; de Smedt, Humbert; Gillette, Thomas G; Lavandero, Sergio; Hill, Joseph A

2018-05-01

Considerable evidence points to critical roles of intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis in the modulation and control of autophagic activity. Yet, underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Mutations in the gene (pkd2) encoding polycystin-2 (PC2) are associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), the most common inherited nephropathy. PC2 has been associated with impaired Ca 2+ handling in cardiomyocytes and indirect evidence suggests that this protein may be involved in autophagic control. Here, we investigated the role for PC2 as an essential regulator of Ca 2+ homeostasis and autophagy. Activation of autophagic flux triggered by mTOR inhibition either pharmacologically (rapamycin) or by means of nutrient depletion was suppressed in cells depleted of PC2. Moreover, cardiomyocyte-specific PC2 knockout mice (αMhc-cre;Pkd2 F/F mice) manifested impaired autophagic flux in the setting of nutrient deprivation. Stress-induced autophagy was blunted by intracellular Ca 2+ chelation using BAPTA-AM, whereas removal of extracellular Ca 2+ had no effect, pointing to a role of intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis in stress-induced cardiomyocyte autophagy. To determine the link between stress-induced autophagy and PC2-induced Ca 2+ mobilization, we over-expressed either wild-type PC2 (WT) or a Ca 2+ -channel deficient PC2 mutant (PC2-D509V). PC2 over-expression increased autophagic flux, whereas PC2-D509V expression did not. Importantly, autophagy induction triggered by PC2 over-expression was attenuated by BAPTA-AM, supporting a model of PC2-dependent control of autophagy through intracellular Ca 2+ . Furthermore, PC2 ablation was associated with impaired Ca 2+ handling in cardiomyocytes marked by partial depletion of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ stores. Finally, we provide evidence that Ca 2+ -mediated autophagy elicited by PC2 is a mechanism conserved across multiple cell types. Together, this study unveils PC2 as a novel regulator of autophagy acting

Autophagy contributes to resistance of tumor cells to ionizing radiation.

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Chaachouay, Hassan; Ohneseit, Petra; Toulany, Mahmoud; Kehlbach, Rainer; Multhoff, Gabriele; Rodemann, H Peter

2011-06-01

Autophagy signaling is a novel important target to improve anticancer therapy. To study the role of autophagy on resistance of tumor cells to ionizing radiation (IR), breast cancer cell lines differing in their intrinsic radiosensitivity were used. Breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and HBL-100 were examined with respect to clonogenic cell survival and induction of autophagy after radiation exposure and pharmacological interference of the autophagic process. As marker for autophagy the appearance of LC3-I and LC3-II proteins was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Formation of autophagic vacuoles was monitored by immunofluorescence staining of LC3. LC3-I and LC3-II formation differs markedly in radioresistant MDA-MB-231 versus radiosensitive HBL-100 cells. Western blot analyses of LC3-II/LC3-I ratio indicated marked induction of autophagy by IR in radioresistant MDA-MB-231 cells, but not in radiosensitive HBL-100 cells. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis of LC3-II positive vacuoles confirmed this differential effect. Pre-treatment with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) antagonized IR-induced autophagy. Likewise, pretreatment of radioresistant MDA-231 cells with autophagy inhibitors 3-MA or chloroquine (CQ) significantly reduced clonogenic survival of irradiated cells. Our data clearly indicate that radioresistant breast tumor cells show a strong post-irradiation induction of autophagy, which thus serves as a protective and pro-survival mechanism in radioresistance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Autophagy downregulation contributes to insulin resistance mediated injury in insulin receptor knockout podocytes in vitro

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Ying Xu

2016-04-01

Full Text Available It is unknown whether autophagy activity is altered in insulin resistant podocytes and whether autophagy could be a therapeutic target for diabetic nephropathy (DN. Here we used shRNA transfection to knockdown the insulin receptor (IR gene in cultured human immortalized podocytes as an in vitro insulin resistant model. Autophagy related proteins LC3, Beclin, and p62 as well as nephrin, a podocyte injury marker, were assessed using western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Our results show that autophagy is suppressed when podocytes lose insulin sensitivity and that treatment of rapamycin, an mTOR specific inhibitor, could attenuate insulin resistance induced podocytes injury via autophagy activation. The present study deepens our understanding of the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of DN.

Kaempferol induces hepatocellular carcinoma cell death via endoplasmic reticulum stress-CHOP-autophagy signaling pathway

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Guo, Haiqing; Lin, Wei; Zhang, Xiangying; Zhang, Xiaohui; Hu, Zhongjie; Li, Liying; Duan, Zhongping; Zhang, Jing; Ren, Feng

2017-01-01

Kaempferol is a flavonoid compound that has gained widespread attention due to its antitumor functions. However, the underlying mechanisms are still not clear. The present study investigated the effect of kaempferol on hepatocellular carcinoma and its underlying mechanisms. Kaempferol induced autophagy in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in HepG2 or Huh7 cells, which was evidenced by the significant increase of autophagy-related genes. Inhibition of autophagy pathway, through 3-meth...

Resveratrol and caloric restriction prevent hepatic steatosis by regulating SIRT1-autophagy pathway and alleviating endoplasmic reticulum stress in high-fat diet-fed rats.

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Ding, Shibin; Jiang, Jinjin; Zhang, Guofu; Bu, Yongjun; Zhang, Guanghui; Zhao, Xiangmei

2017-01-01

Studies have demonstrated that resveratrol (a natural polyphenol) and caloric restriction activate Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) and induce autophagy. Furthermore, autophagy is induced by the SIRT1-FoxO signaling pathway and was recently shown to be a critical protective mechanism against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. We aimed to compare the effects of resveratrol and caloric restriction on hepatic lipid metabolism and elucidate the mechanism by which resveratrol supplementation and caloric restriction alleviate hepatosteatosis by examining the molecular interplay between SIRT1 and autophagy. Eight-week-old male Wistar rats (40) were divided into four groups: the STD group, which was fed a standard chow diet; the HFD group, which was fed a high-fat diet; HFD-RES group, which was fed a high-fat diet plus resveratrol (200 mg/kg.bw); and the HFD-CR group, which was fed a high-fat diet in portions containing 70% of the mean intake of the HFD group rats. The groups were maintained for 18 weeks. Metabolic parameters, Oil Red O and hematoxylin-eosin staining of the liver, and the mRNA and protein expression of SIRT1, autophagy markers and endoplasmic reticulum(ER) stress-associated genes in the liver were assessed after the 18-week treatment. We found that resveratrol (200 mg/kg bw) and caloric restriction (30%) partially prevented hepatic steatosis and hepatocyte ballooning, increased the expression of SIRT1 and autophagy markers while decreasing ER stress markers in the liver and alleviated lipid metabolism disorder. Moreover, caloric restriction provided superior protection against HFD-induced hepatic fatty accumulation compared with resveratrol and the effects were associated with decreased total energy intake and body weight. We conclude that the SIRT1-autophagy pathway and decreased ER stress are universally required for the protective effects of moderate caloric restriction (30%) and resveratrol (a pharmacological SIRT1 activator) supplementation

Resveratrol and caloric restriction prevent hepatic steatosis by regulating SIRT1-autophagy pathway and alleviating endoplasmic reticulum stress in high-fat diet-fed rats.

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Shibin Ding

Full Text Available Studies have demonstrated that resveratrol (a natural polyphenol and caloric restriction activate Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1 and induce autophagy. Furthermore, autophagy is induced by the SIRT1-FoxO signaling pathway and was recently shown to be a critical protective mechanism against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD development. We aimed to compare the effects of resveratrol and caloric restriction on hepatic lipid metabolism and elucidate the mechanism by which resveratrol supplementation and caloric restriction alleviate hepatosteatosis by examining the molecular interplay between SIRT1 and autophagy.Eight-week-old male Wistar rats (40 were divided into four groups: the STD group, which was fed a standard chow diet; the HFD group, which was fed a high-fat diet; HFD-RES group, which was fed a high-fat diet plus resveratrol (200 mg/kg.bw; and the HFD-CR group, which was fed a high-fat diet in portions containing 70% of the mean intake of the HFD group rats. The groups were maintained for 18 weeks. Metabolic parameters, Oil Red O and hematoxylin-eosin staining of the liver, and the mRNA and protein expression of SIRT1, autophagy markers and endoplasmic reticulum(ER stress-associated genes in the liver were assessed after the 18-week treatment. We found that resveratrol (200 mg/kg bw and caloric restriction (30% partially prevented hepatic steatosis and hepatocyte ballooning, increased the expression of SIRT1 and autophagy markers while decreasing ER stress markers in the liver and alleviated lipid metabolism disorder. Moreover, caloric restriction provided superior protection against HFD-induced hepatic fatty accumulation compared with resveratrol and the effects were associated with decreased total energy intake and body weight.We conclude that the SIRT1-autophagy pathway and decreased ER stress are universally required for the protective effects of moderate caloric restriction (30% and resveratrol (a pharmacological SIRT1 activator

Autophagy in protists

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Duszenko, Michael; Ginger, Michael L; Brennand, Ana; Gualdrón-López, Melisa; Colombo, Maria-Isabel; Coombs, Graham H; Coppens, Isabelle; Jayabalasingham, Bamini; Langsley, Gordon; de Castro, Solange Lisboa; Menna-Barreto, Rubem; Mottram, Jeremy C; Navarro, Miguel; Rigden, Daniel J; Romano, Patricia S; Stoka, Veronika; Turk, Boris

2011-01-01

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 past 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. PMID:20962583

Baicalein Induces Apoptosis and Autophagy via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

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Zhongxia Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC remains a disastrous disease and the treatment for HCC is rather limited. Separation and identification of active compounds from traditionally used herbs in HCC treatment may shed light on novel therapeutic drugs for HCC. Methods. Cell viability and colony forming assay were conducted to determine anti-HCC activity. Morphology of cells and activity of caspases were analyzed. Antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins and JNK were also examined. Levels of unfolded protein response (UPR markers were determined and intracellular calcium was assayed. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs were used to investigate the role of UPR and autophagy in baicalein-induced cell death. Results. Among four studied flavonoids, only baicalein exhibited satisfactory inhibition of viability and colony formation of HCC cells within water-soluble concentration. Baicalein induced apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress, possibly by downregulating prosurvival Bcl-2 family, increasing intracellular calcium, and activating JNK. CHOP was the executor of cell death during baicalein-induced ER stress while eIF2α and IRE1α played protective roles. Protective autophagy was also triggered by baicalein in HCC cells. Conclusion. Baicalein exhibits prominent anti-HCC activity. This flavonoid induces apoptosis and protective autophagy via ER stress. Combination of baicalein and autophagy inhibitors may represent a promising therapy against HCC.

Cisplatin-induced apoptosis inhibits autophagy, which acts as a pro-survival mechanism in human melanoma cells.

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Del Bello, Barbara; Toscano, Marzia; Moretti, Daniele; Maellaro, Emilia

2013-01-01

The interplay between a non-lethal autophagic response and apoptotic cell death is still a matter of debate in cancer cell biology. In the present study performed on human melanoma cells, we investigate the role of basal or stimulated autophagy in cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity, as well as the contribution of cisplatin-induced activation of caspases 3/7 and conventional calpains. The results show that, while down-regulating Beclin-1, Atg14 and LC3-II, cisplatin treatment inhibits the basal autophagic response, impairing a physiological pro-survival response. Consistently, exogenously stimulated autophagy, obtained with trehalose or calpains inhibitors (MDL-28170 and calpeptin), protects from cisplatin-induced apoptosis, and such a protection is reverted by inhibiting autophagy with 3-methyladenine or ATG5 silencing. In addition, during trehalose-stimulated autophagy, the cisplatin-induced activation of calpains is abrogated, suggesting the existence of a feedback loop between the autophagic process and calpains. On the whole, our results demonstrate that in human melanoma cells autophagy may function as a beneficial stress response, hindered by cisplatin-induced death mechanisms. In a therapeutic perspective, these findings suggest that the efficacy of cisplatin-based polychemotherapies for melanoma could be potentiated by inhibitors of autophagy.

Beta-Defensin 2 and 3 Promote Bacterial Clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Inhibiting Macrophage Autophagy through Downregulation of Early Growth Response Gene-1 and c-FOS

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Yongjian Wu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Beta-defensins 2 and 3 (BD2 and BD3 are inducible peptides present at the sites of infection, and they are well characterized for their antimicrobial activities and immune-regulatory functions. However, no study has thoroughly investigated their immunomodulatory effects on macrophage-mediated immune responses against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA. Here, we use THP-1 and RAW264.7 cell lines and demonstrate that BD2 and BD3 suppressed macrophage autophagy but enhanced the engulfment of PA and Zymosan bioparticles as well as the formation of phagolysosomes, using immunofluorescence staining and confocal microscopy. Plate count assay showed that macrophage-mediated phagocytosis and intracellular killing of PA were promoted by BD2 and BD3. Furthermore, microarray and real-time PCR showed that the expression of two genes, early growth response gene-1 (EGR1 and c-FOS, was attenuated by BD2 and BD3. Western blot revealed that BD2 and BD3 inhibited the expression and nuclear translocation of EGR1 and c-FOS. Knockdown of EGR1 and c-FOS by siRNA transfection suppressed macrophage autophagy before and after PA infection; while overexpression of these two transcription factors enhanced autophagy but reversed the role of BD2 and BD3 on macrophage-mediated PA eradication. Together, these results demonstrate a novel immune defense activity of BD2 and BD3, which promotes clearance of PA by inhibiting macrophage autophagy through downregulation of EGR1 and c-FOS.

Autophagy sustains the replication of porcine reproductive and respiratory virus in host cells

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Liu, Qinghao; Qin, Yixian; Zhou, Lei; Kou, Qiuwen; Guo, Xin; Ge, Xinna; Yang, Hanchun; Hu, Hongbo

2012-01-01

In this study, we confirmed the autophagy induced by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in permissive cells and investigated the role of autophagy in the replication of PRRSV. We first demonstrated that PRRSV infection significantly results in the increased double-membrane vesicles, the accumulation of LC3 fluorescence puncta, and the raised ratio of LC3-II/β-actin, in MARC-145 cells. Then we discovered that induction of autophagy by rapamycin significantly enhances the viral titers of PRRSV, while inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA and silencing of LC3 gene by siRNA reduces the yield of PRRSV. The results showed functional autolysosomes can be formed after PRRSV infection and the autophagosome–lysosome-fusion inhibitor decreases the virus titers. We also examined the induction of autophagy by PRRSV infection in pulmonary alveolar macrophages. These findings indicate that autophagy induced by PRRSV infection plays a role in sustaining the replication of PRRSV in host cells.

Autophagy sustains the replication of porcine reproductive and respiratory virus in host cells

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Liu, Qinghao; Qin, Yixian; Zhou, Lei; Kou, Qiuwen; Guo, Xin; Ge, Xinna [Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Agribiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing (China); Yang, Hanchun, E-mail: yanghanchun1@cau.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Agribiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing (China); Hu, Hongbo, E-mail: hongbo@cau.edu.cn [College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing (China)

2012-08-01

In this study, we confirmed the autophagy induced by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in permissive cells and investigated the role of autophagy in the replication of PRRSV. We first demonstrated that PRRSV infection significantly results in the increased double-membrane vesicles, the accumulation of LC3 fluorescence puncta, and the raised ratio of LC3-II/{beta}-actin, in MARC-145 cells. Then we discovered that induction of autophagy by rapamycin significantly enhances the viral titers of PRRSV, while inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA and silencing of LC3 gene by siRNA reduces the yield of PRRSV. The results showed functional autolysosomes can be formed after PRRSV infection and the autophagosome-lysosome-fusion inhibitor decreases the virus titers. We also examined the induction of autophagy by PRRSV infection in pulmonary alveolar macrophages. These findings indicate that autophagy induced by PRRSV infection plays a role in sustaining the replication of PRRSV in host cells.

Modulation of inflammation and autophagy pathways by trehalose containing eye drop formulation in corneal epithelial cells: implications for dry eye disease

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Trailokyanath Panigrahi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Ocular surface inflammation is an immunological perturbation activated in response to various adverse conditions and is a key biomarker to understand the disease pathology and its underlying immunological landscape [1]. The molecular link between Inflammation and autophagy, often implicated in disease conditions, is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to understand the regulation of inflammation signaling pathways by using a well-established modulator of autophagy, trehalose (TRE, on desiccation stress-induced inflammation in SV40 immortalized human corneal epithelial cells. To mimic the dry eye condition, HCE cells were exposed to desiccation stress at 80% confluency in a six well tissue culture plate. The medium was completely aspirated and cells were kept for drying at room temperature for 10 min. Fresh medium with TRE was added and incubated for 6 hrs. The regulation of induced inflammatory and autophagic gene expression and protein activation by TRE formulation (1.2% was studied. Optimal drug treatment concentrations were determined by dose escalation cytotoxicity studies. Gene expression was evaluated by quantitative PCR, while protein expression and functions were tested by immunoblotting and fluorescence imaging (Cyto-ID, Lysotracker Red. TRE formulation was able to rescue the morphological changes due to desiccation stress. Live to dead cell ratio increased upon TRE treatment. TRE treatment reduced inflammation induced gene expression of IL-6 (2%, MCP-1 (33.31%, IL-8 (9.56%, MMP-9 (18.96%, and TNFα (58.16% in HCE. Active form of p38, p44/42, and p65 protein levels were altered significantly by TRE treatment. LAMP1 and LC3 autophagy protein markers were also altered with desiccation stress and TRE treatment. The data demonstrate that TRE formulation is effective in reducing desiccation stress induced inflammation in HCE. Further increased phosphorylation of p38, p44/42 and elevated levels of LC3 and LAMP1 suggest that induction

The Effects of Kaempferol-Inhibited Autophagy on Osteoclast Formation.

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Kim, Chang-Ju; Shin, Sang-Hun; Kim, Bok-Joo; Kim, Chul-Hoon; Kim, Jung-Han; Kang, Hae-Mi; Park, Bong-Soo; Kim, In-Ryoung

2018-01-02

Kaempferol, a flavonoid compound, is derived from the rhizome of Kaempferia galanga L ., which is used in traditional medicine in Asia. Autophagy has pleiotropic functions that are involved in cell growth, survival, nutrient supply under starvation, defense against pathogens, and antigen presentation. There are many studies dealing with the inhibitory effects of natural flavonoids in bone resorption. However, no studies have explained the relationship between the autophagic and inhibitory processes of osteoclastogenesis by natural flavonoids. The present study was undertaken to investigate the inhibitory effects of osteoclastogenesis through the autophagy inhibition process stimulated by kaempferol in murin macrophage (RAW 264.7) cells. The cytotoxic effect of Kaempferol was investigated by MTT assay. The osteoclast differentiation and autophagic process were confirmed via tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, pit formation assay, western blot, and real-time PCR. Kaempferol controlled the expression of autophagy-related factors and in particular, it strongly inhibited the expression of p62/SQSTM1. In the western blot and real time-PCR analysis, when autophagy was suppressed with the application of 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) only, osteoclast and apoptosis related factors were not significantly affected. However, we found that after cells were treated with kaempferol, these factors inhibited autophagy and activated apoptosis. Therefore, we presume that kaempferol-inhibited autophagy activated apoptosis by degradation of p62/SQSTM1. Further study of the p62/SQSTM1 gene as a target in the autophagy mechanism, may help to delineate the potential role of kaempferol in the treatment of bone metabolism disorders.

Autophagy Limits Endotoxemic Acute Kidney Injury and Alters Renal Tubular Epithelial Cell Cytokine Expression.

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Jeremy S Leventhal

Full Text Available Sepsis related acute kidney injury (AKI is a common in-hospital complication with a dismal prognosis. Our incomplete understanding of disease pathogenesis has prevented the identification of hypothesis-driven preventive or therapeutic interventions. Increasing evidence in ischemia-reperfusion and nephrotoxic mouse models of AKI support the theory that autophagy protects renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC from injury. However, the role of RTEC autophagy in septic AKI remains unclear. We observed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a mediator of gram-negative bacterial sepsis, induces RTEC autophagy in vivo and in vitro through TLR4-initiated signaling. We modeled septic AKI through intraperitoneal LPS injection in mice in which autophagy-related protein 7 was specifically knocked out in the renal proximal tubules (ATG7KO. Compared to control littermates, ATG7KO mice developed more severe renal dysfunction (24hr BUN 100.1mg/dl +/- 14.8 vs 54.6mg/dl +/- 11.3 and parenchymal injury. After injection with LPS, analysis of kidney lysates identified higher IL-6 expression and increased STAT3 activation in kidney lysates from ATG7KO mice compared to controls. In vitro experiments confirmed an altered response to LPS in RTEC with genetic or pharmacological impairment of autophagy. In conclusion, RTEC autophagy protects against endotoxin induced injury and regulates downstream effects of RTEC TLR4 signaling.

Stress granules at the intersection of autophagy and ALS.

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Monahan, Zachary; Shewmaker, Frank; Pandey, Udai Bhan

2016-10-15

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal disease caused by loss of upper and lower motor neurons. The majority of ALS cases are classified as sporadic (80-90%), with the remaining considered familial based on patient history. The last decade has seen a surge in the identification of ALS-causing genes - including TARDBP (TDP-43), FUS, MATR3 (Matrin-3), C9ORF72 and several others - providing important insights into the molecular pathways involved in pathogenesis. Most of the protein products of ALS-linked genes fall into two functional categories: RNA-binding/homeostasis and protein-quality control (i.e. autophagy and proteasome). The RNA-binding proteins tend to be aggregation-prone with low-complexity domains similar to the prion-forming domains of yeast. Many also incorporate into stress granules (SGs), which are cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complexes that form in response to cellular stress. Mutant forms of TDP-43 and FUS perturb SG dynamics, lengthening their cytoplasmic persistence. Recent evidence suggests that SGs are regulated by the autophagy pathway, suggesting a unifying connection between many of the ALS-linked genes. Persistent SGs may give rise to intractable aggregates that disrupt neuronal homeostasis, thus failure to clear SGs by autophagic processes may promote ALS pathogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI:Autophagy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dysregulation of the Autophagy-Endolysosomal System in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Related Motor Neuron Diseases

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Asako Otomo

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is a heterogeneous group of incurable motor neuron diseases (MNDs characterized by a selective loss of upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Most cases of ALS are sporadic, while approximately 5–10% cases are familial. More than 16 causative genes for ALS/MNDs have been identified and their underlying pathogenesis, including oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, neural inflammation, protein misfolding and accumulation, dysfunctional intracellular trafficking, abnormal RNA processing, and noncell-autonomous damage, has begun to emerge. It is currently believed that a complex interplay of multiple toxicity pathways is implicated in disease onset and progression. Among such mechanisms, ones that are associated with disturbances of protein homeostasis, the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy, have recently been highlighted. Although it remains to be determined whether disease-associated protein aggregates have a toxic or protective role in the pathogenesis, the formation of them results from the imbalance between generation and degradation of misfolded proteins within neuronal cells. In this paper, we focus on the autophagy-lysosomal and endocytic degradation systems and implication of their dysfunction to the pathogenesis of ALS/MNDs. The autophagy-endolysosomal pathway could be a major target for the development of therapeutic agents for ALS/MNDs.

Retinoid receptor signaling and autophagy in acute promyelocytic leukemia.

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Orfali, Nina

2014-05-15

Retinoids are a family of signaling molecules derived from vitamin A with well established roles in cellular differentiation. Physiologically active retinoids mediate transcriptional effects on cells through interactions with retinoic acid (RARs) and retinoid-X (RXR) receptors. Chromosomal translocations involving the RARα gene, which lead to impaired retinoid signaling, are implicated in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), alone and in combination with arsenic trioxide (ATO), restores differentiation in APL cells and promotes degradation of the abnormal oncogenic fusion protein through several proteolytic mechanisms. RARα fusion-protein elimination is emerging as critical to obtaining sustained remission and long-term cure in APL. Autophagy is a degradative cellular pathway involved in protein turnover. Both ATRA and ATO also induce autophagy in APL cells. Enhancing autophagy may therefore be of therapeutic benefit in resistant APL and could broaden the application of differentiation therapy to other cancers. Here we discuss retinoid signaling in hematopoiesis, leukemogenesis, and APL treatment. We highlight autophagy as a potential important regulator in anti-leukemic strategies.

Autophagy in Trypanosomatids

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Paul A. M. Michels

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a ubiquitous eukaryotic process that also occurs in trypanosomatid parasites, protist organisms belonging to the supergroup Excavata, distinct from the supergroup Opistokontha that includes mammals and fungi. Half of the known yeast and mammalian AuTophaGy (ATG proteins were detected in trypanosomatids, although with low sequence conservation. Trypanosomatids such as Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. are responsible for serious tropical diseases in humans. The parasites are transmitted by insects and, consequently, have a complicated life cycle during which they undergo dramatic morphological and metabolic transformations to adapt to the different environments. Autophagy plays a major role during these transformations. Since inhibition of autophagy affects the transformation, survival and/or virulence of the parasites, the ATGs offer promise for development of drugs against tropical diseases. Furthermore, various trypanocidal drugs have been shown to trigger autophagy-like processes in the parasites. It is inferred that autophagy is used by the parasites in an—not always successful—attempt to cope with the stress caused by the toxic compounds.

The dual role of autophagy under hypoxia-involvement of interaction between autophagy and apoptosis.

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Li, Mengmeng; Tan, Jin; Miao, Yuyang; Lei, Ping; Zhang, Qiang

2015-06-01

Hypoxia is one of severe cellular stress and it is well known to be associated with a worse outcome since a lack of oxygen accelerates the induction of apoptosis. Autophagy, an important and evolutionarily conserved mechanism for maintaining cellular homeostasis, is closely related to the apoptosis caused by hypoxia. Generally autophagy blocks the induction of apoptosis and inhibits the activation of apoptosis-associated caspase which could reduce cellular injury. However, in special cases, autophagy or autophagy-relevant proteins may help to induce apoptosis, which could aggravate cell damage under hypoxia condition. In addition, the activation of apoptosis-related proteins-caspase can also degrade autophagy-related proteins, such as Atg3, Atg4, Beclin1 protein, inhibiting autophagy. Although the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis has been known for rather complex for more than a decade, the underlying regulatory mechanisms have not been clearly understood. This short review discusses and summarizes the dual role of autophagy and the interaction and molecular regulatory mechanisms between autophagy and apoptosis under hypoxia.

Ammonia Induces Autophagy through Dopamine Receptor D3 and MTOR

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Li, Zhiyuan; Ji, Xinmiao; Wang, Wenchao; Liu, Juanjuan; Liang, Xiaofei; Wu, Hong; Liu, Jing; Eggert, Ulrike S.; Liu, Qingsong

2016-01-01

Hyperammonemia is frequently seen in tumor microenvironments as well as in liver diseases where it can lead to severe brain damage or death. Ammonia induces autophagy, a mechanism that tumor cells may use to protect themselves from external stresses. However, how cells sense ammonia has been unclear. Here we show that culture medium alone containing Glutamine can generate milimolar of ammonia at 37 degrees in the absence of cells. In addition, we reveal that ammonia acts through the G protein-coupled receptor DRD3 (Dopamine receptor D3) to induce autophagy. At the same time, ammonia induces DRD3 degradation, which involves PIK3C3/VPS34-dependent pathways. Ammonia inhibits MTOR (mechanistic target of Rapamycin) activity and localization in cells, which is mediated by DRD3. Therefore, ammonia has dual roles in autophagy: one to induce autophagy through DRD3 and MTOR, the other to increase autophagosomal pH to inhibit autophagic flux. Our study not only adds a new sensing and output pathway for DRD3 that bridges ammonia sensing and autophagy induction, but also provides potential mechanisms for the clinical consequences of hyperammonemia in brain damage, neurodegenerative diseases and tumors. PMID:27077655

Autophagy and Alzheimer’s Disease: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Implications

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Md. Sahab Uddin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is the most common cause of progressive dementia in the elderly. It is characterized by a progressive and irreversible loss of cognitive abilities and formation of senile plaques, composed mainly of amyloid β (Aβ, and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs, composed of tau protein, in the hippocampus and cortex of afflicted humans. In brains of AD patients the metabolism of Aβ is dysregulated, which leads to the accumulation and aggregation of Aβ. Metabolism of Aβ and tau proteins is crucially influenced by autophagy. Autophagy is a lysosome-dependent, homeostatic process, in which organelles and proteins are degraded and recycled into energy. Thus, dysfunction of autophagy is suggested to lead to the accretion of noxious proteins in the AD brain. In the present review, we describe the process of autophagy and its importance in AD. Additionally, we discuss mechanisms and genes linking autophagy and AD, i.e., the mTOR pathway, neuroinflammation, endocannabinoid system, ATG7, BCL2, BECN1, CDK5, CLU, CTSD, FOXO1, GFAP, ITPR1, MAPT, PSEN1, SNCA, UBQLN1, and UCHL1. We also present pharmacological agents acting via modulation of autophagy that may show promise in AD therapy. This review updates our knowledge on autophagy mechanisms proposing novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of AD.

Kaempferol induces hepatocellular carcinoma cell death via endoplasmic reticulum stress-CHOP-autophagy signaling pathway.

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Guo, Haiqing; Lin, Wei; Zhang, Xiangying; Zhang, Xiaohui; Hu, Zhongjie; Li, Liying; Duan, Zhongping; Zhang, Jing; Ren, Feng

2017-10-10

Kaempferol is a flavonoid compound that has gained widespread attention due to its antitumor functions. However, the underlying mechanisms are still not clear. The present study investigated the effect of kaempferol on hepatocellular carcinoma and its underlying mechanisms. Kaempferol induced autophagy in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in HepG2 or Huh7 cells, which was evidenced by the significant increase of autophagy-related genes. Inhibition of autophagy pathway, through 3-methyladenine or Atg7 siRNA, strongly diminished kaempferol-induced apoptosis. We further hypothesized that kaempferol can induce autophagy via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway. Indeed, blocking ER stress by 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA) or knockdown of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) with siRNA alleviated kaempferol-induced HepG2 or Huh7 cells autophagy; while transfection with plasmid overexpressing CHOP reversed the effect of 4-PBA on kaempferol-induced autophagy. Our results demonstrated that kaempferol induced hepatocarcinoma cell death via ER stress and CHOP-autophagy signaling pathway; kaempferol may be used as a potential chemopreventive agent for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Inducing autophagy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harder, Lea M; Bunkenborg, Jakob; Andersen, Jens S.

2014-01-01

catabolism, which has recently been found to induce autophagy in an MTOR independent way and support cancer cell survival. In this study, quantitative phosphoproteomics was applied to investigate the initial signaling events linking ammonia to the induction of autophagy. The MTOR inhibitor rapamycin was used...... as a reference treatment to emphasize the differences between an MTOR-dependent and -independent autophagy-induction. By this means 5901 phosphosites were identified of which 626 were treatment-specific regulated and 175 were coregulated. Investigation of the ammonia-specific regulated sites supported that MTOR...

Autophagy induced by silica nanoparticles protects RAW264.7 macrophages from cell death.

Science.gov (United States)

Marquardt, Clarissa; Fritsch-Decker, Susanne; Al-Rawi, Marco; Diabaté, Silvia; Weiss, Carsten

2017-03-15

Although the technological and economic benefits of engineered nanomaterials are obvious, concerns have been raised about adverse effects if such material is inhaled, ingested, applied to the skin or even released into the environment. Here we studied the cytotoxic effects of the most abundant nanomaterial, silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 -NPs), in murine RAW264.7 macrophages. SiO 2 -NPs dose-dependently induce membrane leakage and cell death without obvious involvement of reactive oxygen species. Interestingly, at low concentrations SiO 2 -NPs trigger autophagy, evidenced by morphological and biochemical hallmarks such as autophagolysosomes or increased levels of LC3-II, which serves to protect cells from cytotoxicity. Hence SiO 2 -NPs initiate an adaptive stress response which dependent on dose serve to balance survival and death and ultimately dictates the cellular fate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The cell on the edge of life and death: Crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis.

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Kasprowska-Liśkiewicz, Daniela

2017-09-21

Recently, the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis has attracted broader attention. Basal autophagy serves to maintain cell homeostasis, while the upregulation of this process is an element of stress response that enables the cell to survive under adverse conditions. Autophagy may also determine the fate of the cell through its interactions with cell death pathways. The protein networks that control the initiation and the execution phase of these two processes are highly interconnected. Several scenarios for the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis exist. In most cases, the activation of autophagy represents an attempt of the cell to cope with stress, and protects the cell from apoptosis or delays its initiation. Generally, the simultaneous activation of pro-survival and pro-death pathways is prevented by the mutual inhibitory crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis. But in some circumstances, autophagy or the proteins of the core autophagic machinery may promote cellular demise through excessive self-digestion (so-called "autophagic cell death") or by stimulating the activation of other cell death pathways. It is controversial whether cells actually die via autophagy, which is why the term "autophagic cell death" has been under intense debate lately. This review summarizes the recent findings on the multilevel crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis in aspects of common regulators, mutual inhibition of these processes, the stimulation of apoptosis by autophagy or autophagic proteins and finally the role of autophagy as a death-execution mechanism.

Spermidine: a novel autophagy inducer and longevity elixir.

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Madeo, Frank; Eisenberg, Tobias; Büttner, Sabrina; Ruckenstuhl, Christoph; Kroemer, Guido

2010-01-01

Spermidine is a ubiquitous polycation that is synthesized from putrescine and serves as a precursor of spermine. Putrescine, spermidine and spermine all are polyamines that participate in multiple known and unknown biological processes. Exogenous supply of spermidine prolongs the life span of several model organisms including yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) and flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and significantly reduces age-related oxidative protein damage in mice, indicating that this agent may act as a universal anti-aging drug. Spermidine induces autophagy in cultured yeast and mammalian cells, as well as in nematodes and flies. Genetic inactivation of genes essential for autophagy abolishes the life span-prolonging effect of spermidine in yeast, nematodes and flies. These findings complement expanding evidence that autophagy mediates cytoprotection against a variety of noxious agents and can confer longevity when induced at the whole-organism level. We hypothesize that increased autophagic turnover of cytoplasmic organelles or long-lived proteins is involved in most if not all life span-prolonging therapies.

17-AAG enhances the cytotoxicity of flavopiridol in mantle cell lymphoma via autophagy suppression.

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Xiao, Y; Guan, J

2015-01-01

Flavopiridol, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI), shows promising anti-tumor activity in hematologic malignancies. However, Flavopiridol-induced protective autophagy may lead to drug resistance. Here we found that Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG can sensitize mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cells to flavopiridol by suppressing flavopiridol-triggered protective autophagy. The suppressing effect of 17-AAG on autophgy was mediated by Beclin1 degradation and ERK inactivation. Furthermore, 17-AAG enhanced flavopiridol-induced apoptosis and growth suppression in MCL cells. Our study may provide some insights into CDKI -targeted chemotherapies.

Inhibition of mitochondria- and endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated autophagy augments temozolomide-induced apoptosis in glioma cells.

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Chien-Ju Lin

Full Text Available Autophagy is a crucial process for cells to maintain homeostasis and survival through degradation of cellular proteins and organelles, including mitochondria and endoplasmic reticula (ER. We previously demonstrated that temozolomide (TMZ, an alkylating agent for brain tumor chemotherapy, induced reactive oxygen species (ROS/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK-mediated autophagy to protect glioma cells from apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the role of mitochondrial damage and ER stress in TMZ-induced cytotoxicity. Mitochondrial depolarization and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP opening were observed as a prelude to TMZ-induced autophagy, and these were followed by the loss of mitochondrial mass. Electron transport chain (ETC inhibitors, such as rotenone (a complex I inhibitor, sodium azide (a complex IV inhibitor, and oligomycin (a complex V inhibitor, or the MPTP inhibitor, cyclosporine A, decreased mitochondrial damage-mediated autophagy, and therefore increased TMZ-induced apoptosis. TMZ treatment triggered ER stress with increased expression of GADD153 and GRP78 proteins, and deceased pro-caspase 12 protein. ER stress consequently induced autophagy through c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK and Ca(2+ signaling pathways. Combination of TMZ with 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA, an ER stress inhibitor, augmented TMZ-induced cytotoxicity by inhibiting autophagy. Taken together, our data indicate that TMZ induced autophagy through mitochondrial damage- and ER stress-dependent mechanisms to protect glioma cells. This study provides evidence that agents targeting mitochondria or ER may be potential anticancer strategies.

Autophagy in Measles Virus Infection

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Aurore Rozières

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a biological process that helps cells to recycle obsolete cellular components and which greatly contributes to maintaining cellular integrity in response to environmental stress factors. Autophagy is also among the first lines of cellular defense against invading microorganisms, including viruses. The autophagic destruction of invading pathogens, a process referred to as xenophagy, involves cytosolic autophagy receptors, such as p62/SQSTM1 (Sequestosome 1 or NDP52/CALCOCO2 (Nuclear Dot 52 KDa Protein/Calcium Binding And Coiled-Coil Domain 2, which bind to microbial components and target them towards growing autophagosomes for degradation. However, most, if not all, infectious viruses have evolved molecular tricks to escape from xenophagy. Many viruses even use autophagy, part of the autophagy pathway or some autophagy-associated proteins, to improve their infectious potential. In this regard, the measles virus, responsible for epidemic measles, has a unique interface with autophagy as the virus can induce multiple rounds of autophagy in the course of infection. These successive waves of autophagy result from distinct molecular pathways and seem associated with anti- and/or pro-measles virus consequences. In this review, we describe what the autophagy–measles virus interplay has taught us about both the biology of the virus and the mechanistic orchestration of autophagy.

Autophagy in C. elegans development.

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Palmisano, Nicholas J; Meléndez, Alicia

2018-04-27

Autophagy involves the sequestration of cytoplasmic contents in a double-membrane structure referred to as the autophagosome and the degradation of its contents upon delivery to lysosomes. Autophagy activity has a role in multiple biological processes during the development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Basal levels of autophagy are required to remove aggregate prone proteins, paternal mitochondria, and spermatid-specific membranous organelles. During larval development, autophagy is required for the remodeling that occurs during dauer development, and autophagy can selectively degrade components of the miRNA-induced silencing complex, and modulate miRNA-mediated silencing. Basal levels of autophagy are important in synapse formation and in the germ line, to promote the proliferation of proliferating stem cells. Autophagy activity is also required for the efficient removal of apoptotic cell corpses by promoting phagosome maturation. Finally, autophagy is also involved in lipid homeostasis and in the aging process. In this review, we first describe the molecular complexes involved in the process of autophagy, its regulation, and mechanisms for cargo recognition. In the second section, we discuss the developmental contexts where autophagy has been shown to be important. Studies in C. elegans provide valuable insights into the physiological relevance of this process during metazoan development. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MicroRNA-155 promotes autophagy to eliminate intracellular mycobacteria by targeting Rheb.

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Wang, Jinli; Yang, Kun; Zhou, Lin; Minhaowu; Wu, Yongjian; Zhu, Min; Lai, Xiaomin; Chen, Tao; Feng, Lianqiang; Li, Meiyu; Huang, Chunyu; Zhong, Qiu; Huang, Xi

2013-01-01

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a hard-to-eradicate intracellular pathogen that infects one-third of the global population. It can live within macrophages owning to its ability to arrest phagolysosome biogenesis. Autophagy has recently been identified as an effective way to control the intracellular mycobacteria by enhancing phagosome maturation. In the present study, we demonstrate a novel role of miR-155 in regulating the autophagy-mediated anti-mycobacterial response. Both in vivo and in vitro studies showed that miR-155 expression was significantly enhanced after mycobacterial infection. Forced expression of miR-155 accelerated the autophagic response in macrophages, thus promoting the maturation of mycobacterial phagosomes and decreasing the survival rate of intracellular mycobacteria, while transfection with miR-155 inhibitor increased mycobacterial survival. However, macrophage-mediated mycobacterial phagocytosis was not affected after miR-155 overexpression or inhibition. Furthermore, blocking autophagy with specific inhibitor 3-methyladenine or silencing of autophagy related gene 7 (Atg7) reduced the ability of miR-155 to promote autophagy and mycobacterial elimination. More importantly, our study demonstrated that miR-155 bound to the 3'-untranslated region of Ras homologue enriched in brain (Rheb), a negative regulator of autophagy, accelerated the process of autophagy and sequential killing of intracellular mycobacteria by suppressing Rheb expression. Our results reveal a novel role of miR-155 in regulating autophagy-mediated mycobacterial elimination by targeting Rheb, and provide potential targets for clinical treatment.

MicroRNA-155 promotes autophagy to eliminate intracellular mycobacteria by targeting Rheb.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinli Wang

Full Text Available Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a hard-to-eradicate intracellular pathogen that infects one-third of the global population. It can live within macrophages owning to its ability to arrest phagolysosome biogenesis. Autophagy has recently been identified as an effective way to control the intracellular mycobacteria by enhancing phagosome maturation. In the present study, we demonstrate a novel role of miR-155 in regulating the autophagy-mediated anti-mycobacterial response. Both in vivo and in vitro studies showed that miR-155 expression was significantly enhanced after mycobacterial infection. Forced expression of miR-155 accelerated the autophagic response in macrophages, thus promoting the maturation of mycobacterial phagosomes and decreasing the survival rate of intracellular mycobacteria, while transfection with miR-155 inhibitor increased mycobacterial survival. However, macrophage-mediated mycobacterial phagocytosis was not affected after miR-155 overexpression or inhibition. Furthermore, blocking autophagy with specific inhibitor 3-methyladenine or silencing of autophagy related gene 7 (Atg7 reduced the ability of miR-155 to promote autophagy and mycobacterial elimination. More importantly, our study demonstrated that miR-155 bound to the 3'-untranslated region of Ras homologue enriched in brain (Rheb, a negative regulator of autophagy, accelerated the process of autophagy and sequential killing of intracellular mycobacteria by suppressing Rheb expression. Our results reveal a novel role of miR-155 in regulating autophagy-mediated mycobacterial elimination by targeting Rheb, and provide potential targets for clinical treatment.

Agent-based modeling of autophagy reveals emergent regulatory behavior of spatio-temporal autophagy dynamics.

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Börlin, Christoph S; Lang, Verena; Hamacher-Brady, Anne; Brady, Nathan R

2014-09-10

Autophagy is a vesicle-mediated pathway for lysosomal degradation, essential under basal and stressed conditions. Various cellular components, including specific proteins, protein aggregates, organelles and intracellular pathogens, are targets for autophagic degradation. Thereby, autophagy controls numerous vital physiological and pathophysiological functions, including cell signaling, differentiation, turnover of cellular components and pathogen defense. Moreover, autophagy enables the cell to recycle cellular components to metabolic substrates, thereby permitting prolonged survival under low nutrient conditions. Due to the multi-faceted roles for autophagy in maintaining cellular and organismal homeostasis and responding to diverse stresses, malfunction of autophagy contributes to both chronic and acute pathologies. We applied a systems biology approach to improve the understanding of this complex cellular process of autophagy. All autophagy pathway vesicle activities, i.e. creation, movement, fusion and degradation, are highly dynamic, temporally and spatially, and under various forms of regulation. We therefore developed an agent-based model (ABM) to represent individual components of the autophagy pathway, subcellular vesicle dynamics and metabolic feedback with the cellular environment, thereby providing a framework to investigate spatio-temporal aspects of autophagy regulation and dynamic behavior. The rules defining our ABM were derived from literature and from high-resolution images of autophagy markers under basal and activated conditions. Key model parameters were fit with an iterative method using a genetic algorithm and a predefined fitness function. From this approach, we found that accurate prediction of spatio-temporal behavior required increasing model complexity by implementing functional integration of autophagy with the cellular nutrient state. The resulting model is able to reproduce short-term autophagic flux measurements (up to 3�

Regulation of autophagy by sphingosine kinase 1 and its role in cell survival during nutrient starvation.

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Lavieu, Grégory; Scarlatti, Francesca; Sala, Giusy; Carpentier, Stéphane; Levade, Thierry; Ghidoni, Riccardo; Botti, Joëlle; Codogno, Patrice

2006-03-31

The sphingolipid ceramide induces macroautophagy (here called autophagy) and cell death with autophagic features in cancer cells. Here we show that overexpression of sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1), an enzyme responsible for the production of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), in MCF-7 cells stimulates autophagy by increasing the formation of LC3-positive autophagosomes and the rate of proteolysis sensitive to the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Autophagy was blocked in the presence of dimethylsphingosine, an inhibitor of SK activity, and in cells expressing a catalytically inactive form of SK1. In SK1(wt)-overexpressing cells, however, autophagy was not sensitive to fumonisin B1, an inhibitor of ceramide synthase. In contrast to ceramide-induced autophagy, SK1(S1P)-induced autophagy is characterized by (i) the inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling independently of the Akt/protein kinase B signaling arm and (ii) the lack of robust accumulation of the autophagy protein Beclin 1. In addition, nutrient starvation induced both the stimulation of autophagy and SK activity. Knocking down the expression of the autophagy protein Atg7 or that of SK1 by siRNA abolished starvation-induced autophagy and increased cell death with apoptotic hallmarks. In conclusion, these results show that SK1(S1P)-induced autophagy protects cells from death with apoptotic features during nutrient starvation.

Autophagy in photodynamic therapy

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Autophagy is a conserved intracellular degradation process in which cellular organelles, proteins and invading microbes are degraded by lysosomes. There are three types of autophagy: macroautophagy, mitoautophagy and chaperone- mediated autophagy. This review is focused on macroautophagy which is referred to ...

A comparative in-silico analysis of autophagy proteins in ciliates

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Erhan Aslan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Autophagy serves as a turnover mechanism for the recycling of redundant and/or damaged macromolecules present in eukaryotic cells to re-use them under starvation conditions via a double-membrane structure known as autophagosome. A set of eukaryotic genes called autophagy-related genes (ATGs orchestrate this highly elaborative process. The existence of these genes and the role they play in different eukaryotes are well-characterized. However, little is known of their role in some eukaryotes such as ciliates. Here, we report the computational analyses of ATG genes in five ciliate genomes to understand their diversity. Our results show that Oxytricha trifallax is the sole ciliate which has a conserved Atg12 conjugation system (Atg5-Atg12-Atg16. Interestingly, Oxytricha Atg16 protein includes WD repeats in addition to its N-terminal Atg16 domain as is the case in multicellular organisms. Additionally, phylogenetic analyses revealed that E2-like conjugating protein Atg10 is only present in Tetrahymena thermophila. We fail to find critical autophagy components Atg5, Atg7 and Atg8 in the parasitic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Contrary to previous reports, we also find that ciliate genomes do not encode typical Atg1 since all the candidate sequences lack an Atg1-specific C-terminal domain which is essential for Atg1 complex formation. Consistent with the absence of Atg1, ciliates also lack other members of the Atg1 complex. However, the presence of Atg6 in all ciliates examined here may rise the possibility that autophagosome formation could be operated through Atg6 in ciliates, since Atg6 has been shown as an alternative autophagy inducer. In conclusion, our results highlight that Atg proteins are partially conserved in ciliates. This may provide a better understanding for the autophagic destruction of the parental macronucleus, a developmental process also known as programmed nuclear death in ciliates.

Autophagy inhibition enhances apigenin-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer cells

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xuchen Cao; Bowen Liu; Wenfeng Cao; Weiran Zhang; Fei Zhang; Hongmeng Zhao; Ran Meng

2013-01-01

Apigenin (4',5,7-trihydroxyflavone) is a member of the flavone subclass of flavonoids present in fruits and vegetables.The involvement of autophagy in the apigenin-induced apoptotic death of human breast cancer cells was investigated.Cell proliferation and viability were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and clonogenic assays.Flow cytometry,fluorescent staining and Western blot analysis were employed to detect apoptosis and autophagy,and the role of autophagy was assessed using autophagy inhibitors.Apigenin dose-and time-dependently repressed the proliferation and clonogenic survival of the human breast cancer T47D and MDA-MB-231 cell lines.The death of T47D and MDA-MB-231 cells was due to apoptosis associated with increased levels of Caspase3,PARP cleavage and Bax/Bcl-2 ratios.The results from flow cytometry and fluorescent staining also verified the occurrence of apoptosis.In addition,the apigenin-treated cells exhibited autophagy,as characterized by the appearance of autophagosomes under fluorescence microscopy and the accumulation of acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs)by flow cytometry.Furthermore,the results of the Western blot analysis revealed that the level of LC3-Ⅱ,the processed form of LC3-Ⅰ,was increased.Treatment with the autophagy inhibitor,3-methyladenine (3-MA),significantly enhanced the apoptosis induced by apigenin,which was accompanied by an increase in the level of PARP cleavage.Similar results were also confirmed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.These results indicate that apigenin has apoptosis-and autophagy-inducing effects in breast cancer cells.Autophagy plays a cyto-protective role in apigenin-induced apoptosis,and the combination of apigenin and an autophagy inhibitor may be a promising strategy for breast cancer control.

IFNG-mediated immune responses enhance autophagy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in patients with active tuberculosis

Science.gov (United States)

Rovetta, Ana I; Peña, Delfina; Hernández Del Pino, Rodrigo E; Recalde, Gabriela M; Pellegrini, Joaquín; Bigi, Fabiana; Musella, Rosa M; Palmero, Domingo J; Gutierrez, Marisa; Colombo, María I; García, Verónica E

2015-01-01

Protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) requires IFNG. Besides, IFNG-mediated induction of autophagy suppresses survival of virulent Mtb in macrophage cell lines. We investigated the contribution of autophagy to the defense against Mtb antigen (Mtb-Ag) in cells from tuberculosis patients and healthy donors (HD). Patients were classified as high responders (HR) if their T cells produced significant IFNG against Mtb-Ag; and low responders (LR) when patients showed weak or no T cell responses to Mtb-Ag. The highest autophagy levels were detected in HD cells whereas the lowest quantities were observed in LR patients. Interestingly, upon Mtb-Ag stimulation, we detected a positive correlation between IFNG and MAP1LC3B-II/LC3-II levels. Actually, blockage of Mtb-Ag-induced IFNG markedly reduced autophagy in HR patients whereas addition of limited amounts of IFNG significantly increased autophagy in LR patients. Therefore, autophagy collaborates with human immune responses against Mtb in close association with specific IFNG secreted against the pathogen. PMID:25426782

Protein kinase B/Akt1 inhibits autophagy by down-regulating UVRAG expression

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Yang, Wonseok; Ju, Ji-hyun; Lee, Kyung-min; Nam, KeeSoo; Oh, Sunhwa [Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Incheol, E-mail: incheol@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-02-01

Autophagy, or autophagocytosis, is a selective intracellular degradative process involving the cell's own lysosomal apparatus. An essential component in cell development, homeostasis, repair and resistance to stress, autophagy may result in either cell death or survival. The targeted region of the cell is sequestered within a membrane structure, the autophagosome, for regulation of the catabolic process. A key factor in both autophagosome formation and autophagosome maturation is a protein encoded by the ultraviolet irradiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG). Conversely, the serine/threonine-specific protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt), which regulates survival in various cancers, inhibits autophagy through mTOR activation. We found that Akt1 may also directly inhibit autophagy by down-regulating UVRAG both in a 293T transient transfection system and breast cancer cells stably expressing Akt1. The UVRAG with mutations at putative Akt1-phosphorylation sites were still inhibited by Akt1, and dominant-negative Akt1 also inhibited UVRAG expression, suggesting that Akt1 down-regulates UVRAG by a kinase activity-independent mechanism. We showed that Akt1 overexpression in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells down-regulated UVRAG transcription. Cells over-expressing Akt1 were more resistant than control cells to ultraviolet light-induced autophagy and exhibited the associated reduction in cell viability. Levels of the autophagosome indicator protein LC3B-II and mRFP-GFP-LC3 were reduced in cells that over-expressing Akt1. Inhibiting Akt1 by siRNA or reintroducing UVRAG gene rescued the level of LC3B-II in UV-irradiation. Altogether, these data suggest that Akt1 may inhibit autophagy by decreasing UVRAG expression, which also sensitizes cancer cells to UV irradiation.

Genome-wide analysis of autophagy-associated genes in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) and characterization of the function of SiATG8a in conferring tolerance to nitrogen starvation in rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weiwei; Chen, Ming; Wang, Erhui; Hu, Liqin; Hawkesford, Malcolm J; Zhong, Li; Chen, Zhu; Xu, Zhaoshi; Li, Liancheng; Zhou, Yongbin; Guo, Changhong; Ma, Youzhi

2016-10-12

Autophagy is a cellular degradation process that is highly evolutionarily-conserved in yeast, plants, and animals. In plants, autophagy plays important roles in regulating intracellular degradation and recycling of amino acids in response to nutrient starvation, senescence, and other environmental stresses. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) has strong resistance to stresses and has been proposed as an ideal material for use in the study of the physiological mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Although the genome sequence of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is available, the characteristics and functions of abiotic stress-related genes remain largely unknown for this species. A total of 37 putative ATG (autophagy-associated genes) genes in the foxtail millet genome were identified. Gene duplication analysis revealed that both segmental and tandem duplication events have played significant roles in the expansion of the ATG gene family in foxtail millet. Comparative synteny mapping between the genomes of foxtail millet and rice suggested that the ATG genes in both species have common ancestors, as their ATG genes were primarily located in similar syntenic regions. Gene expression analysis revealed the induced expression of 31 SiATG genes by one or more phytohormone treatments, 26 SiATG genes by drought, salt and cold, 24 SiATG genes by darkness and 25 SiATG genes by nitrogen starvation. Results of qRT-PCR showing that among 37 SiATG genes, the expression level of SiATG8a was the highest after nitrogen starvation treatment 24 h, suggesting its potential role in tolerance to nutrient starvation. Moreover, the heterologous expression of SiATG8a in rice improved nitrogen starvation tolerance. Compared to wild type rice, the transgenic rice performed better and had higher aboveground total nitrogen content when the plants were grown under nitrogen starvation conditions. Our results deepen understanding about the characteristics and functions of ATG genes in

Alcohol Dehydrogenase Protects against Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Myocardial Contractile Dysfunction via Attenuation of Oxidative Stress and Autophagy: Role of PTEN-Akt-mTOR Signaling.

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Jiaojiao Pang

Full Text Available The endoplasmic reticulum (ER plays an essential role in ensuring proper folding of the newly synthesized proteins. Aberrant ER homeostasis triggers ER stress and development of cardiovascular diseases. ADH is involved in catalyzing ethanol to acetaldehyde although its role in cardiovascular diseases other than ethanol metabolism still remains elusive. This study was designed to examine the impact of ADH on ER stress-induced cardiac anomalies and underlying mechanisms involved using cardiac-specific overexpression of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH.ADH and wild-type FVB mice were subjected to the ER stress inducer tunicamycin (1 mg/kg, i.p., for 48 hrs. Myocardial mechanical and intracellular Ca(2+ properties, ER stress, autophagy and associated cell signaling molecules were evaluated.ER stress compromised cardiac contractile function (evidenced as reduced fractional shortening, peak shortening, maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening, prolonged relengthening duration and impaired intracellular Ca(2+ homeostasis, oxidative stress and upregulated autophagy (increased LC3B, Atg5, Atg7 and p62, along with dephosphorylation of PTEN, Akt and mTOR, all of which were attenuated by ADH. In vitro study revealed that ER stress-induced cardiomyocyte anomaly was abrogated by ADH overexpression or autophagy inhibition using 3-MA. Interestingly, the beneficial effect of ADH was obliterated by autophagy induction, inhibition of Akt and mTOR. ER stress also promoted phosphorylation of the stress signaling ERK and JNK, the effect of which was unaffected by ADH transgene.Taken together, these findings suggested that ADH protects against ER stress-induced cardiac anomalies possibly via attenuation of oxidative stress and PTEN/Akt/mTOR pathway-regulated autophagy.

Modulation of Autophagy by a Small Molecule Inverse Agonist of ERRα Is Neuroprotective

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S. N. Suresh

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Mechanistic insights into aggrephagy, a selective basal autophagy process to clear misfolded protein aggregates, are lacking. Here, we report and describe the role of Estrogen Related Receptor α (ERRα, HUGO Gene Nomenclature ESRRA, new molecular player of aggrephagy, in keeping autophagy flux in check by inhibiting autophagosome formation. A screen for small molecule modulators for aggrephagy identified ERRα inverse agonist XCT 790, that cleared α-synuclein aggregates in an autophagy dependent, but mammalian target of rapamycin (MTOR independent manner. XCT 790 modulates autophagosome formation in an ERRα dependent manner as validated by siRNA mediated knockdown and over expression approaches. We show that, in a basal state, ERRα is localized on to the autophagosomes and upon autophagy induction by XCT 790, this localization is lost and is accompanied with an increase in autophagosome biogenesis. In a preclinical mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD, XCT 790 exerted neuroprotective effects in the dopaminergic neurons of nigra by inducing autophagy to clear toxic protein aggregates and, in addition, ameliorated motor co-ordination deficits. Using a chemical biology approach, we unrevealed the role of ERRα in regulating autophagy and can be therapeutic target for neurodegeneration.

Autophagy regulates chlorpyrifos-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jae Hyeon; Lee, Jeong Eun; Shin, In Chul; Koh, Hyun Chul

2013-01-01

Recent studies have shown that up-regulation of autophagy may be a tractable therapeutic intervention for clearing disease-causing proteins, including α-synuclein, ubiquitin, and other misfolded or aggregated proteins in pesticide-induced neurodegeneration. In a previous study, we reported that chlorpyrifos (CPF)-induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis is mediated through reactive oxygen species in SH-SY5Y cells. In this study, we explored a novel pharmacotherapeutic approach to prevent CPF neurotoxicity involving the regulation of autophagy. We investigated the modulation of CPF-induced apoptosis according to autophagy regulation. We found that CPF induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells, as demonstrated by the activation of caspase-3 and nuclear condensation. In addition, we observed that cells treated with CPF underwent autophagic cell death by monitoring the expression of LC3-II and p62. Pretreatment with the autophagy inducer rapamycin significantly enhanced the cell viability of CPF-exposed cells, and the enhancement of cell viability was partially due to alleviation of CPF-induced apoptosis via a decrease in levels of cleaved caspase-3. Specifically, rapamycin pretreatment decreased Bax and increased Bcl-2 expression in mitochondria. In addition, rapamycin significantly decreased cytochrome c release in from mitochondria into the cytosol. However, pretreatment of cells with the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3MA), remarkably increased CPF toxicity in these cells; this with correlated with increased expression of Bax and decreased expression of Bcl-2 in mitochondria. Our results suggest that CPF-induced cytotoxicity is modified by autophagy regulation and that rapamycin protects against CPF-induced apoptosis by enhancing autophagy. Pharmacologic induction of autophagy by rapamycin may be a useful treatment strategy in neurodegenerative disorders. - Highlights: ► Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is cytotoxic to SH-SY5Y cells ► CPF-induced cytotoxicity is mediated by

Autophagy regulates chlorpyrifos-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells

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Park, Jae Hyeon [Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University (Korea, Republic of); Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jeong Eun [Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University (Korea, Republic of); Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Shin, In Chul [Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University (Korea, Republic of); Koh, Hyun Chul, E-mail: hckoh@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University (Korea, Republic of); Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-04-01

Recent studies have shown that up-regulation of autophagy may be a tractable therapeutic intervention for clearing disease-causing proteins, including α-synuclein, ubiquitin, and other misfolded or aggregated proteins in pesticide-induced neurodegeneration. In a previous study, we reported that chlorpyrifos (CPF)-induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis is mediated through reactive oxygen species in SH-SY5Y cells. In this study, we explored a novel pharmacotherapeutic approach to prevent CPF neurotoxicity involving the regulation of autophagy. We investigated the modulation of CPF-induced apoptosis according to autophagy regulation. We found that CPF induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells, as demonstrated by the activation of caspase-3 and nuclear condensation. In addition, we observed that cells treated with CPF underwent autophagic cell death by monitoring the expression of LC3-II and p62. Pretreatment with the autophagy inducer rapamycin significantly enhanced the cell viability of CPF-exposed cells, and the enhancement of cell viability was partially due to alleviation of CPF-induced apoptosis via a decrease in levels of cleaved caspase-3. Specifically, rapamycin pretreatment decreased Bax and increased Bcl-2 expression in mitochondria. In addition, rapamycin significantly decreased cytochrome c release in from mitochondria into the cytosol. However, pretreatment of cells with the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3MA), remarkably increased CPF toxicity in these cells; this with correlated with increased expression of Bax and decreased expression of Bcl-2 in mitochondria. Our results suggest that CPF-induced cytotoxicity is modified by autophagy regulation and that rapamycin protects against CPF-induced apoptosis by enhancing autophagy. Pharmacologic induction of autophagy by rapamycin may be a useful treatment strategy in neurodegenerative disorders. - Highlights: ► Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is cytotoxic to SH-SY5Y cells ► CPF-induced cytotoxicity is mediated by

A Novel Role of Listeria monocytogenes Membrane Vesicles in Inhibition of Autophagy and Cell Death.

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Vdovikova, Svitlana; Luhr, Morten; Szalai, Paula; Nygård Skalman, Lars; Francis, Monika K; Lundmark, Richard; Engedal, Nikolai; Johansson, Jörgen; Wai, Sun N

2017-01-01

Bacterial membrane vesicle (MV) production has been mainly studied in Gram-negative species. In this study, we show that Listeria monocytogenes , a Gram-positive pathogen that causes the food-borne illness listeriosis, produces MVs both in vitro and in vivo . We found that a major virulence factor, the pore-forming hemolysin listeriolysin O (LLO), is tightly associated with the MVs, where it resides in an oxidized, inactive state. Previous studies have shown that LLO may induce cell death and autophagy. To monitor possible effects of LLO and MVs on autophagy, we performed assays for LC3 lipidation and LDH sequestration as well as analysis by confocal microscopy of HEK293 cells expressing GFP-LC3. The results revealed that MVs alone did not affect autophagy whereas they effectively abrogated autophagy induced by pure LLO or by another pore-forming toxin from Vibrio cholerae , VCC. Moreover, Listeria monocytogenes MVs significantly decreased Torin1-stimulated macroautophagy. In addition, MVs protected against necrosis of HEK293 cells caused by the lytic action of LLO. We explored the mechanisms of LLO-induced autophagy and cell death and demonstrated that the protective effect of MVs involves an inhibition of LLO-induced pore formation resulting in inhibition of autophagy and the lytic action on eukaryotic cells. Further, we determined that these MVs help bacteria to survive inside eukaryotic cells (mouse embryonic fibroblasts). Taken together, these findings suggest that intracellular release of MVs from L. monocytogenes may represent a bacterial strategy to survive inside host cells, by its control of LLO activity and by avoidance of destruction from the autophagy system during infection.

A Novel Role of Listeria monocytogenes Membrane Vesicles in Inhibition of Autophagy and Cell Death

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Svitlana Vdovikova

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Bacterial membrane vesicle (MV production has been mainly studied in Gram-negative species. In this study, we show that Listeria monocytogenes, a Gram-positive pathogen that causes the food-borne illness listeriosis, produces MVs both in vitro and in vivo. We found that a major virulence factor, the pore-forming hemolysin listeriolysin O (LLO, is tightly associated with the MVs, where it resides in an oxidized, inactive state. Previous studies have shown that LLO may induce cell death and autophagy. To monitor possible effects of LLO and MVs on autophagy, we performed assays for LC3 lipidation and LDH sequestration as well as analysis by confocal microscopy of HEK293 cells expressing GFP-LC3. The results revealed that MVs alone did not affect autophagy whereas they effectively abrogated autophagy induced by pure LLO or by another pore-forming toxin from Vibrio cholerae, VCC. Moreover, Listeria monocytogenes MVs significantly decreased Torin1-stimulated macroautophagy. In addition, MVs protected against necrosis of HEK293 cells caused by the lytic action of LLO. We explored the mechanisms of LLO-induced autophagy and cell death and demonstrated that the protective effect of MVs involves an inhibition of LLO-induced pore formation resulting in inhibition of autophagy and the lytic action on eukaryotic cells. Further, we determined that these MVs help bacteria to survive inside eukaryotic cells (mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Taken together, these findings suggest that intracellular release of MVs from L. monocytogenes may represent a bacterial strategy to survive inside host cells, by its control of LLO activity and by avoidance of destruction from the autophagy system during infection.

Identification, molecular cloning and expression analysis of a HORMA domain containing Autophagy-related gene 13 (ATG13 from the coleopteran beetle, Tenebrio molitor

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Jung Hee eLee

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a process that is necessary during starvation as it replenishes metabolic precursors by eliminating damaged organelles. Autophagy is mediated by more than 35 autophagy-related (Atg proteins that manifest in the nucleation, elongation, and curving of autophagosome membrane. We isolated a homolog of an ATG13 gene from the transcriptome database of the larva of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (designated as TmATG13. The sequence analysis showed that TmATG13 cDNA comprises of 1,176 bp open reading frame that encodes a protein of 391 amino acids. Analyses of the structure-specific features of TmAtg13 showed an intrinsically disordered middle and C-terminal region, rich in regulatory phosphorylation sites. The N-terminal Atg13 domain show a HORMA (Hop1, Rev7, and Mad2 fold containing conserved amino acid residues across the Atg13 orthologs in insects. qRT-PCR revealed that TmATG13 was expressed ubiquitously in all the developmental stages of insect. TmATG13 mRNA expression was high in fat body and gut of the larval and adult stages of the insect. During ovary development and maturation, the TmATG13 transcripts showed high expression until six days of development, followed by a significant decline. The prospective functions mediated by TmAtg13 during autophagy will be clarified by further studies in the near future.

Opposite Effects of Two Human ATG10 Isoforms on Replication of a HCV Sub-genomic Replicon Are Mediated via Regulating Autophagy Flux in Zebrafish

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Yu-Chen Li

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a host mechanism for cellular homeostatic control. Intracellular stresses are symptoms of, and responses to, dysregulation of the physiological environment of the cell. Alternative gene transcription splicing is a mechanism potentially used by a host to respond to physiological or pathological challenges. Here, we aimed to confirm opposite effects of two isoforms of the human autophagy-related protein ATG10 on an HCV subgenomic replicon in zebrafish. A liver-specific HCV subreplicon model was established and exhibited several changes in gene expression typically induced by HCV infection, including overexpression of several HCV-dependent genes (argsyn, leugpcr, rasgbd, and scaf-2, as well as overexpression of several ER stress related genes (atf4, chop, atf6, and bip. Autophagy flux was blocked in the HCV model. Our results indicated that the replication of the HCV subreplicon was suppressed via a decrease in autophagosome formation caused by the autophagy inhibitor 3MA, but enhanced via dysfunction in the lysosomal degradation caused by another autophagy inhibitor CQ. Human ATG10, a canonical isoform in autophagy, facilitated the amplification of the HCV-subgenomic replicon via promoting autophagosome formation. ATG10S, a non-canonical short isoform of the ATG10 protein, promoted autophagy flux, leading to lysosomal degradation of the HCV-subgenomic replicon. Human ATG10S may therefore inhibit HCV replication, and may be an appropriate target for future antiviral drug screening.

Inhibiting ROS-TFEB-Dependent Autophagy Enhances Salidroside-Induced Apoptosis in Human Chondrosarcoma Cells.

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Zeng, Wei; Xiao, Tao; Cai, Anlie; Cai, Weiliang; Liu, Huanhuan; Liu, Jingling; Li, Jie; Tan, Miduo; Xie, Li; Liu, Ying; Yang, Xiangcheng; Long, Yi

2017-01-01

Autophagy modulation has been considered a potential therapeutic strategy for human chondrosarcoma, and a previous study indicated that salidroside exhibits significant anti-carcinogenic activity. However, the ability of salidroside to induce autophagy and its role in human chondrosarcoma cell death remains unclear. We exposed SW1353 cells to different concentrations of salidroside (0.5, 1 and 2 mM) for 24 h. RT-PCR, Western-blotting, Immunocytofluorescence, and Luciferase Reporter Assays were used to evaluate whether salidroside activated the TFEB-dependent autophagy. We show that salidroside induced significant apoptosis in the human chondrosarcoma cell line SW1353. In addition, we demonstrate that salidroside-induced an autophagic response in SW1353 cells, as evidenced by the upregulation of LC3-II and downregulation of P62. Moreover, pharmacological or genetic blocking of autophagy enhanced salidroside -induced apoptosis, indicating the cytoprotective role of autophagy in salidroside-treated SW1353 cells. Salidroside also induced TFEB (Ser142) dephosphorylation, subsequently to activated TFEB nuclear translocation and increase of TFEB reporter activity, which contributed to lysosomal biogenesis and the expression of autophagy-related genes. Importantly, we found that salidroside triggered the generation of ROS in SW1353 cells. Furthermore, NAC, a ROS scavenger, abrogated the effects of salidroside on TFEB-dependent autophagy. These data demonstrate that salidroside increased TFEB-dependent autophagy by activating ROS signaling pathways in human chondrosarcoma cells. These data also suggest that blocking ROS-TFEB-dependent autophagy to enhance the activity of salidroside warrants further attention in treatment of human chondrosarcoma cells. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Ubiquitin-coated nanodiamonds bind to autophagy receptors for entry into the selective autophagy pathway.

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Liu, Kuang-Kai; Qiu, Wei-Ru; Naveen Raj, Emmanuel; Liu, Huei-Fang; Huang, Hou-Syun; Lin, Yu-Wei; Chang, Chien-Jen; Chen, Ting-Hua; Chen, Chinpiao; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Hwang, Jenn-Kang; Chao, Jui-I

2017-01-02

Selective macroautophagy/autophagy plays a pivotal role in the processing of foreign pathogens and cellular components to maintain homeostasis in human cells. To date, numerous studies have demonstrated the uptake of nanoparticles by cells, but their intracellular processing through selective autophagy remains unclear. Here we show that carbon-based nanodiamonds (NDs) coated with ubiquitin (Ub) bind to autophagy receptors (SQSTM1 [sequestosome 1], OPTN [optineurin], and CALCOCO2/NDP52 [calcium binding and coiled-coil domain 2]) and are then linked to MAP1LC3/LC3 (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3) for entry into the selective autophagy pathway. NDs are ultimately delivered to lysosomes. Ectopically expressed SQSTM1-green fluorescence protein (GFP) could bind to the Ub-coated NDs. By contrast, the Ub-associated domain mutant of SQSTM1 (ΔUBA)-GFP did not bind to the Ub-coated NDs. Chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, prevented the ND-containing autophagosomes from fusing with lysosomes. Furthermore, autophagy receptors OPTN and CALCOCO2/NDP52, involved in the processing of bacteria, were found to be involved in the selective autophagy of NDs. However, ND particles located in the lysosomes of cells did not induce mitotic blockage, senescence, or cell death. Single ND clusters in the lysosomes of cells were observed in the xenografted human lung tumors of nude mice. This study demonstrated for the first time that Ub-coated nanoparticles bind to autophagy receptors for entry into the selective autophagy pathway, facilitating their delivery to lysosomes.

Interplay between cell cycle and autophagy induced by boswellic acid analog

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Pathania, Anup S.; Guru, Santosh K.; Kumar, Suresh; Kumar, Ashok; Ahmad, Masroor; Bhushan, Shashi; Sharma, Parduman R.; Mahajan, Priya; Shah, Bhahwal A.; Sharma, Simmi; Nargotra, Amit; Vishwakarma, Ram; Korkaya, Hasan; Malik, Fayaz

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the role of autophagy induced by boswellic acid analog BA145 on cell cycle progression in pancreatic cancer cells. BA145 induced robust autophagy in pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1 and exhibited cell proliferation inhibition by inducing cells to undergo G2/M arrest. Inhibition of G2/M progression was associated with decreased expression of cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin E, cdc2, cdc25c and CDK-1. Pre-treatment of cells with autophagy inhibitors or silencing the expression of key autophagy genes abrogated BA145 induced G2/M arrest and downregulation of cell cycle regulatory proteins. It was further observed that BA145 induced autophagy by targeting mTOR kinase (IC50 1 μM), leading to reduced expression of p-mTOR, p-p70S6K (T389), p-4EBP (T37/46) and p-S6 (S240/244). Notably, inhibition of mTOR signalling by BA145 was followed by attendant activation of AKT and its membrane translocation. Inhibition of Akt through pharmacological inhibitors or siRNAs enhanced BA145 mediated autophagy, G2/M arrest and reduced expression of G2/M regulators. Further studies revealed that BA145 arbitrated inhibition of mTOR led to the activation of Akt through IGFR/PI3k/Akt feedback loop. Intervention in IGFR/PI3k/Akt loop further depreciated Akt phosphorylation and its membrane translocation that culminates in augmented autophagy with concomitant G2/M arrest and cell death. PMID:27680387

Regulation of Autophagy by Kinases

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Sridharan, Savitha; Jain, Kirti; Basu, Alakananda

2011-01-01

Autophagy is a process of self-degradation that maintains cellular viability during periods of metabolic stress. Although autophagy is considered a survival mechanism when faced with cellular stress, extensive autophagy can also lead to cell death. Aberrations in autophagy are associated with several diseases, including cancer. Therapeutic exploitation of this process requires a clear understanding of its regulation. Although the core molecular components involved in the execution of autophagy are well studied there is limited information on how cellular signaling pathways, particularly kinases, regulate this complex process. Protein kinases are integral to the autophagy process. Atg1, the first autophagy-related protein identified, is a serine/threonine kinase and it is regulated by another serine/threonine kinase mTOR. Emerging studies suggest the participation of many different kinases in regulating various components/steps of this catabolic process. This review focuses on the regulation of autophagy by several kinases with particular emphasis on serine/threonine protein kinases such as mTOR, AMP-activated protein kinase, Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK, p38 and JNK) and protein kinase C that are often deregulated in cancer and are important therapeutic targets

Regulation of Autophagy by Kinases

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Sridharan, Savitha; Jain, Kirti; Basu, Alakananda, E-mail: alakananda.basu@unthsc.edu [Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107 (United States)

2011-06-09

Autophagy is a process of self-degradation that maintains cellular viability during periods of metabolic stress. Although autophagy is considered a survival mechanism when faced with cellular stress, extensive autophagy can also lead to cell death. Aberrations in autophagy are associated with several diseases, including cancer. Therapeutic exploitation of this process requires a clear understanding of its regulation. Although the core molecular components involved in the execution of autophagy are well studied there is limited information on how cellular signaling pathways, particularly kinases, regulate this complex process. Protein kinases are integral to the autophagy process. Atg1, the first autophagy-related protein identified, is a serine/threonine kinase and it is regulated by another serine/threonine kinase mTOR. Emerging studies suggest the participation of many different kinases in regulating various components/steps of this catabolic process. This review focuses on the regulation of autophagy by several kinases with particular emphasis on serine/threonine protein kinases such as mTOR, AMP-activated protein kinase, Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK, p38 and JNK) and protein kinase C that are often deregulated in cancer and are important therapeutic targets.

Regulation of Autophagy by Kinases

Science.gov (United States)

Sridharan, Savitha; Jain, Kirti; Basu, Alakananda

2011-01-01

Autophagy is a process of self-degradation that maintains cellular viability during periods of metabolic stress. Although autophagy is considered a survival mechanism when faced with cellular stress, extensive autophagy can also lead to cell death. Aberrations in autophagy are associated with several diseases, including cancer. Therapeutic exploitation of this process requires a clear understanding of its regulation. Although the core molecular components involved in the execution of autophagy are well studied there is limited information on how cellular signaling pathways, particularly kinases, regulate this complex process. Protein kinases are integral to the autophagy process. Atg1, the first autophagy-related protein identified, is a serine/threonine kinase and it is regulated by another serine/threonine kinase mTOR. Emerging studies suggest the participation of many different kinases in regulating various components/steps of this catabolic process. This review focuses on the regulation of autophagy by several kinases with particular emphasis on serine/threonine protein kinases such as mTOR, AMP-activated protein kinase, Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK, p38 and JNK) and protein kinase C that are often deregulated in cancer and are important therapeutic targets. PMID:24212825

Regulation of Autophagy by Kinases

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Savitha Sridharan

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a process of self-degradation that maintains cellular viability during periods of metabolic stress. Although autophagy is considered a survival mechanism when faced with cellular stress, extensive autophagy can also lead to cell death. Aberrations in autophagy are associated with several diseases, including cancer. Therapeutic exploitation of this process requires a clear understanding of its regulation. Although the core molecular components involved in the execution of autophagy are well studied there is limited information on how cellular signaling pathways, particularly kinases, regulate this complex process. Protein kinases are integral to the autophagy process. Atg1, the first autophagy-related protein identified, is a serine/threonine kinase and it is regulated by another serine/threonine kinase mTOR. Emerging studies suggest the participation of many different kinases in regulating various components/steps of this catabolic process. This review focuses on the regulation of autophagy by several kinases with particular emphasis on serine/threonine protein kinases such as mTOR, AMP-activated kinase, Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK, p38 and JNK and protein kinase C that are often deregulated in cancer and are important therapeutic targets.

Characterization of the autophagy marker protein Atg8 reveals atypical features of autophagy in Plasmodium falciparum.

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Rahul Navale

Full Text Available Conventional autophagy is a lysosome-dependent degradation process that has crucial homeostatic and regulatory functions in eukaryotic organisms. As malaria parasites must dispose a number of self and host cellular contents, we investigated if autophagy in malaria parasites is similar to the conventional autophagy. Genome wide analysis revealed a partial autophagy repertoire in Plasmodium, as homologs for only 15 of the 33 yeast autophagy proteins could be identified, including the autophagy marker Atg8. To gain insights into autophagy in malaria parasites, we investigated Plasmodium falciparum Atg8 (PfAtg8 employing techniques and conditions that are routinely used to study autophagy. Atg8 was similarly expressed and showed punctate localization throughout the parasite in both asexual and sexual stages; it was exclusively found in the pellet fraction as an integral membrane protein, which is in contrast to the yeast or mammalian Atg8 that is distributed among cytosolic and membrane fractions, and suggests for a constitutive autophagy. Starvation, the best known autophagy inducer, decreased PfAtg8 level by almost 3-fold compared to the normally growing parasites. Neither the Atg8-associated puncta nor the Atg8 expression level was significantly altered by treatment of parasites with routinely used autophagy inhibitors (cysteine (E64 and aspartic (pepstatin protease inhibitors, the kinase inhibitor 3-methyladenine, and the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine, indicating an atypical feature of autophagy. Furthermore, prolonged inhibition of the major food vacuole protease activity by E64 and pepstatin did not cause accumulation of the Atg8-associated puncta in the food vacuole, suggesting that autophagy is primarily not meant for degradative function in malaria parasites. Atg8 showed partial colocalization with the apicoplast; doxycycline treatment, which disrupts apicoplast, did not affect Atg8 localization, suggesting a role, but not exclusive, in

Involvement of autophagy upregulation in 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('ecstasy')-induced serotonergic neurotoxicity.

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Li, I-Hsun; Ma, Kuo-Hsing; Kao, Tzu-Jen; Lin, Yang-Yi; Weng, Shao-Ju; Yen, Ting-Yin; Chen, Lih-Chi; Huang, Yuahn-Sieh

2016-01-01

It has been suggested that autophagy plays pathogenetic roles in cerebral ischemia, brain trauma, and neurodegenerative disorders. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) is an illicit drug that causes long-term serotonergic neurotoxicity in the brain. Apoptosis and necrosis have been implicated in MDMA-induced neurotoxicity, but the role of autophagy in MDMA-elicited serotonergic toxicity has not been investigated. The present study aimed to examine the contribution of autophagy to neurotoxicity in serotonergic neurons in in vitro and in vivo animal models challenged with MDMA. Here, we demonstrated that in cultured rat serotonergic neurons, MDMA exposure induced LC3B-densely stained autophagosome formation, accompanying by a decrease in neurite outgrowth. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) significantly attenuated MDMA-induced autophagosome accumulation, and ameliorated MDMA-triggered serotonergic neurite damage and neuron death. In contrast, enhanced autophagy flux by rapamycin or impaired autophagosome clearance by bafilomycin A1 led to more autophagosome accumulation in serotonergic neurons and aggravated neurite degeneration. In addition, MDMA-induced autophagy activation in cultured serotonergic neurons might be mediated by serotonin transporter (SERT). In an in vivo animal model administered MDMA, neuroimaging showed that 3-MA protected the serotonin system against MDMA-induced downregulation of SERT evaluated by animal-PET with 4-[(18)F]-ADAM, a SERT radioligand. Taken together, our results demonstrated that MDMA triggers upregulation of autophagy in serotonergic neurons, which appears to be detrimental to neuronal growth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shock Wave Therapy Promotes Cardiomyocyte Autophagy and Survival during Hypoxia

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Ling Du

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Autophagy plays an important role in cardiovascular disease. Controversy still exists regarding the effect of autophagy on ischemic/hypoxic myocardium. Cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT is an effective alternative treatment for refractory ischemic heart disease. Whether CSWT can regulate cardiomyocyte autophagy under hypoxic conditions is not clear. We established a myocardial hypoxia model using the H9c2 cell line and performed shock waves (SWs treatment to evaluate the effect of SW on autophagy. Methods: The H9c2 cells were incubated under hypoxic conditions, and SW treatment was then performed at energies of 0.02, 0.05, or 0.10 mJ/mm2. The cell viability and intracellular ATP level were examined. Western blot analysis was used to assess the expression of LC3B, AMPK, mTOR, Beclin-1, Sirt1, and HIF-1α. Autophagic vacuoles were visualized by monodansylcadaverine staining. Results: After the 24-hour hypoxic period, cardiomyocyte viability and ATP levels were decreased and autophagy was significantly increased in H9c2 cells. SW treatment with an energy of 0.05 mJ/mm2 significantly increased the cellular viability, ATP level, LC3B-II/I, and number of autophagic vacuoles. In addition, phosphorylated AMPK and Sirt1 were increased and phosphorylated mTOR and HIF-1α were decreased after SW treatment. Conclusion: SW treatment can potentially promote cardiomyocyte autophagy during hypoxia and protect cardiomyocyte function by regulating the AMPK/mTOR pathway.

Identification of Autophagy-Related Genes and Their Regulatory miRNAs Associated with Celiac Disease in Children

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Sergio Comincini

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Celiac disease (CD is a severe genetic autoimmune disorder, affecting about one in 100 people, where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. Diagnosing CD is quite complex and requires blood tests and intestinal biopsy examinations. Controversy exists regarding making the diagnosis without biopsy, due to the large spectrum of manifesting symptoms; furthermore, small-intestinal gastroscopy examinations have a relatively complex management in the pediatric population. To identify novel molecular markers useful to increase the sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of pediatric CD patients, the expression levels of two key autophagy executor genes (ATG7 and BECN1 and their regulatory validated miRNAs (miR-17 and miR-30a, respectively were analyzed by relative quantitative real-time-PCR on a cohort of confirmed CD patients compared to age-related controls. Among the investigated targets, the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test and ROC analysis indicated the highest significant association of BECN1 with CD status in the blood, while in intestinal biopsies, all of the investigated sequences were positively associated with CD diagnosis. Nomogram-based analysis showed nearly opposite expression trends in blood compared to intestine tissue, while hierarchical clustering dendrograms enabled identifying CD and control subgroups based on specific genes and miRNA expression signatures. Next, using an established in vitro approach, through digested gliadin administration in Caco-2 cells, we also highlighted that the modulation of miR-17 endogenous levels using enriched exosomes increased the intracellular autophagosome content, thereby altering the autophagic status. Altogether, these results highlighted novel molecular markers that might be useful to increase the accuracy in CD diagnosis and in molecular-based stratification of the patients, further reinforcing the functional involvement of the regulation of the autophagy

Autophagy and Neurodegeneration: Insights from a Cultured Cell Model of ALS

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Francesca Navone

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Autophagy plays a major role in the elimination of cellular waste components, the renewal of intracellular proteins and the prevention of the build-up of redundant or defective material. It is fundamental for the maintenance of homeostasis and especially important in post-mitotic neuronal cells, which, without competent autophagy, accumulate protein aggregates and degenerate. Many neurodegenerative diseases are associated with defective autophagy; however, whether altered protein turnover or accumulation of misfolded, aggregate-prone proteins is the primary insult in neurodegeneration has long been a matter of debate. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is a fatal disease characterized by selective degeneration of motor neurons. Most of the ALS cases occur in sporadic forms (SALS, while 10%–15% of the cases have a positive familial history (FALS. The accumulation in the cell of misfolded/abnormal proteins is a hallmark of both SALS and FALS, and altered protein degradation due to autophagy dysregulation has been proposed to contribute to ALS pathogenesis. In this review, we focus on the main molecular features of autophagy to provide a framework for discussion of our recent findings about the role in disease pathogenesis of the ALS-linked form of the VAPB gene product, a mutant protein that drives the generation of unusual cytoplasmic inclusions.

Endosomal protein sorting and autophagy genes contribute to the regulation of yeast life span.

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Longo, Valter D; Nislow, Corey; Fabrizio, Paola

2010-11-01

Accumulating evidence from various organisms points to a role for autophagy in the regulation of life span. By performing a genome-wide screen to identify novel life span determinants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have obtained further insights into the autophagy-related and -unrelated degradation processes that may be important for preventing cellular senescence. The generation of multivesicular bodies and their fusion with the vacuole in the endosomal pathway emerged as novel cell functions involved in yeast chronological survival and longevity extension.

High Endogenous Accumulation of ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Protect against Ischemia-Reperfusion Renal Injury through AMPK-Mediated Autophagy in Fat-1 Mice.

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Gwon, Do Hyeong; Hwang, Tae Woong; Ro, Ju-Ye; Kang, Yoon-Joong; Jeong, Jin Young; Kim, Do-Kyung; Lim, Kyu; Kim, Dong Woon; Choi, Dae Eun; Kim, Jwa-Jin

2017-09-30

Regulated autophagy is involved in the repair of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Fat-1 transgenic mice produce ω3-Polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFAs) from ω6-Polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω6-PUFAs) without a dietary ω3-PUFAs supplement, leading to a high accumulation of omega-3 in various tissues. ω3-PUFAs show protective effects against various renal injuries and it has recently been reported that ω3-PUFAs regulate autophagy. We assessed whether ω3-PUFAs attenuated IR-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) and evaluated its associated mechanisms. C57Bl/6 background fat-1 mice and wild-type mice (wt) were divided into four groups: wt sham ( n = 10), fat-1 sham ( n = 10), wt IRI (reperfusion 35 min after clamping both the renal artery and vein; n = 15), and fat-1 IRI ( n = 15). Kidneys and blood were harvested 24 h after IRI and renal histological and molecular data were collected. The kidneys of fat-1 mice showed better renal cell survival, renal function, and pathological damage than those of wt mice after IRI. In addition, fat-1 mice showed less oxidative stress and autophagy impairment; greater amounts of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3)-II, Beclin-1, and Atg7; lower amounts of p62; and, higher levels of renal cathepsin D and ATP6E than wt kidneys. They also showed more adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation, which resulted in the inhibition of phosphorylation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Collectively, ω3-PUFAs in fat-1 mice contributed to AMPK mediated autophagy activation, leading to a renoprotective response.

The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients

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Metzger, Silke; Walter, Carolin; Riess, Olaf

2013-01-01

The cause of Huntington disease (HD) is a polyglutamine repeat expansion of more than 36 units in the huntingtin protein, which is inversely correlated with the age at onset of the disease. However, additional genetic factors are believed to modify the course and the age at onset of HD. Recently......, we identified the V471A polymorphism in the autophagy-related gene ATG7, a key component of the autophagy pathway that plays an important role in HD pathogenesis, to be associated with the age at onset in a large group of European Huntington disease patients. To confirm this association in a second...... independent patient cohort, we analysed the ATG7 V471A polymorphism in additional 1,464 European HD patients of the "REGISTRY" cohort from the European Huntington Disease Network (EHDN). In the entire REGISTRY cohort we could not confirm a modifying effect of the ATG7 V471A polymorphism. However, analysing...

Resveratrol alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation through Sirt1-dependent autophagy induction.

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He, Qi; Li, Zhenyu; Wang, Yueting; Hou, Yanghao; Li, Lingyu; Zhao, Jing

2017-09-01

Resveratrol has been reported to protect against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. In the current study, we examined whether resveratrol ameliorates cerebral I/R injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-derived inflammation and whether autophagy is involved in this process. In addition, we explored the role of Sirt1 in resveratrol-mediated protective effects. To answer these questions, healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to middle cerebral artery occlusion for 1h followed by 24h reperfusion. We found that cerebral I/R increased levels of activated NLRP3 inflammasome, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 and enhanced autophagy activity (ratio of LC3B-II/LC3B-I and p62/SQSTM1). Treatment with resveratrol, a specific Sirt1 agonist, attenuated I/R-induced NLRP3 inflammasome-derived inflammation but upregulated autophagy. Furthermore, resveratrol treatment clearly reduced cerebral infarct volume, decreased brain water content, and improved neurological scores. In addition, inhibition of autophagy using 3-MA intracerebroventricular injection blocked the inhibitory effect of resveratrol on NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Finally, Sirt1 knockdown with siRNA significantly blocked resveratrol-induced enhancement of autophagy activity and suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that resveratrol protects against cerebral I/R injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation through Sirt1-dependent autophagy activity. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Autophagy in plant pathogenic fungi.

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Liu, Xiao-Hong; Xu, Fei; Snyder, John Hugh; Shi, Huan-Bin; Lu, Jian-Ping; Lin, Fu-Cheng

2016-09-01

Autophagy is a conserved cellular process that degrades cytoplasmic constituents in vacuoles. Plant pathogenic fungi develop special infection structures and/or secrete a range of enzymes to invade their plant hosts. It has been demonstrated that monitoring autophagy processes can be extremely useful in visualizing the sequence of events leading to pathogenicity of plant pathogenic fungi. In this review, we introduce the molecular mechanisms involved in autophagy. In addition, we explore the relationship between autophagy and pathogenicity in plant pathogenic fungi. Finally, we discuss the various experimental strategies available for use in the study of autophagy in plant pathogenic fungi. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A missense change in the ATG4D gene links aberrant autophagy to a neurodegenerative vacuolar storage disease.

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Kaisa Kyöstilä

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Inherited neurodegenerative disorders are debilitating diseases that occur across different species. We have performed clinical, pathological and genetic studies to characterize a novel canine neurodegenerative disease present in the Lagotto Romagnolo dog breed. Affected dogs suffer from progressive cerebellar ataxia, sometimes accompanied by episodic nystagmus and behavioral changes. Histological examination revealed unique pathological changes, including profound neuronal cytoplasmic vacuolization in the nervous system, as well as spheroid formation and cytoplasmic aggregation of vacuoles in secretory epithelial tissues and mesenchymal cells. Genetic analyses uncovered a missense change, c.1288G>A; p.A430T, in the autophagy-related ATG4D gene on canine chromosome 20 with a highly significant disease association (p = 3.8 x 10-136 in a cohort of more than 2300 Lagotto Romagnolo dogs. ATG4D encodes a poorly characterized cysteine protease belonging to the macroautophagy pathway. Accordingly, our histological analyses indicated altered autophagic flux in affected tissues. The knockdown of the zebrafish homologue atg4da resulted in a widespread developmental disturbance and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. Our study describes a previously unknown canine neurological disease with particular pathological features and implicates the ATG4D protein as an important autophagy mediator in neuronal homeostasis. The canine phenotype serves as a model to delineate the disease-causing pathological mechanism(s and ATG4D function, and can also be used to explore treatment options. Furthermore, our results reveal a novel candidate gene for human neurodegeneration and enable the development of a genetic test for veterinary diagnostic and breeding purposes.

Large-scale inference of gene function through phylogenetic annotation of Gene Ontology terms: case study of the apoptosis and autophagy cellular processes.

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Feuermann, Marc; Gaudet, Pascale; Mi, Huaiyu; Lewis, Suzanna E; Thomas, Paul D

2016-01-01

We previously reported a paradigm for large-scale phylogenomic analysis of gene families that takes advantage of the large corpus of experimentally supported Gene Ontology (GO) annotations. This 'GO Phylogenetic Annotation' approach integrates GO annotations from evolutionarily related genes across ∼100 different organisms in the context of a gene family tree, in which curators build an explicit model of the evolution of gene functions. GO Phylogenetic Annotation models the gain and loss of functions in a gene family tree, which is used to infer the functions of uncharacterized (or incompletely characterized) gene products, even for human proteins that are relatively well studied. Here, we report our results from applying this paradigm to two well-characterized cellular processes, apoptosis and autophagy. This revealed several important observations with respect to GO annotations and how they can be used for function inference. Notably, we applied only a small fraction of the experimentally supported GO annotations to infer function in other family members. The majority of other annotations describe indirect effects, phenotypes or results from high throughput experiments. In addition, we show here how feedback from phylogenetic annotation leads to significant improvements in the PANTHER trees, the GO annotations and GO itself. Thus GO phylogenetic annotation both increases the quantity and improves the accuracy of the GO annotations provided to the research community. We expect these phylogenetically based annotations to be of broad use in gene enrichment analysis as well as other applications of GO annotations.Database URL: http://amigo.geneontology.org/amigo. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Ischemia preconditioning is neuroprotective in a rat cerebral ischemic injury model through autophagy activation and apoptosis inhibition

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Xia, D.Y.; Li, W.; Qian, H.R.; Yao, S.; Liu, J.G.; Qi, X.K.

2013-01-01

Sublethal ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a powerful inducer of ischemic brain tolerance. However, its underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. In this study, we chose four different IPC paradigms, namely 5 min (5 min duration), 5×5 min (5 min duration, 2 episodes, 15-min interval), 5×5×5 min (5 min duration, 3 episodes, 15-min intervals), and 15 min (15 min duration), and demonstrated that three episodes of 5 min IPC activated autophagy to the greatest extent 24 h after IPC, as evidenced by Beclin expression and LC3-I/II conversion. Autophagic activation was mediated by the tuberous sclerosis type 1 (TSC1)-mTor signal pathway as IPC increased TSC1 but decreased mTor phosphorylation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and hematoxylin and eosin staining confirmed that IPC protected against cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Critically, 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, abolished the neuroprotection of IPC and, by contrast, rapamycin, an autophagy inducer, potentiated it. Cleaved caspase-3 expression, neurological scores, and infarct volume in different groups further confirmed the protection of IPC against I/R injury. Taken together, our data indicate that autophagy activation might underlie the protection of IPC against ischemic injury by inhibiting apoptosis

Ischemia preconditioning is neuroprotective in a rat cerebral ischemic injury model through autophagy activation and apoptosis inhibition

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Xia, D.Y. [Department of Neurology, Navy General Hospital of PLA, Beijing (China); Li, W. [General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Department of Neurology, Shenyang, China, Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang (China); Qian, H.R.; Yao, S.; Liu, J.G.; Qi, X.K. [Department of Neurology, Navy General Hospital of PLA, Beijing (China)

2013-08-10

Sublethal ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a powerful inducer of ischemic brain tolerance. However, its underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. In this study, we chose four different IPC paradigms, namely 5 min (5 min duration), 5×5 min (5 min duration, 2 episodes, 15-min interval), 5×5×5 min (5 min duration, 3 episodes, 15-min intervals), and 15 min (15 min duration), and demonstrated that three episodes of 5 min IPC activated autophagy to the greatest extent 24 h after IPC, as evidenced by Beclin expression and LC3-I/II conversion. Autophagic activation was mediated by the tuberous sclerosis type 1 (TSC1)-mTor signal pathway as IPC increased TSC1 but decreased mTor phosphorylation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and hematoxylin and eosin staining confirmed that IPC protected against cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Critically, 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, abolished the neuroprotection of IPC and, by contrast, rapamycin, an autophagy inducer, potentiated it. Cleaved caspase-3 expression, neurological scores, and infarct volume in different groups further confirmed the protection of IPC against I/R injury. Taken together, our data indicate that autophagy activation might underlie the protection of IPC against ischemic injury by inhibiting apoptosis.

Tetrandrine induces lipid accumulation through blockade of autophagy in a hepatic stellate cell line

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Miyamae, Yusaku; Nishito, Yukina; Nakai, Naomi; Nagumo, Yoko; Usui, Takeo; Masuda, Seiji; Kambe, Taiho; Nagao, Masaya

2016-01-01

Macroautophagy, or autophagy, is a cellular response in which unnecessary cytoplasmic components, including lipids and organelles, are self-degraded. Recent studies closely related autophagy to activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), a process critical in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. During HSC activation, cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) are degraded as autophagic cargo, and then cells express fibrogenic genes. Thus, inhibition of autophagy in HSCs is a potential therapeutic approach for attenuating liver fibrosis. We found that tetrandrine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Stephania tetrandra, induced lipid accumulation, a phenotype associated with quiescent HSCs, through blockade of autophagy in the rat-derived HSC line HSC-T6. Tetrandrine inhibited autophagic flux without affecting lysosomal function. A phenotypic comparison using siRNA knockdown suggested that tetrandrine may target regulators, involved in fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes (e.g., syntaxin 17). Moreover, perilipin 1, an LD-coated protein, co-localized specifically with LC3, a marker protein for autophagosomes, in tetrandrine-treated HSC-T6 cells. This suggests a potential role for perilipin 1 in autophagy-mediated LD degradation in HSCs. Our results identified tetrandrine as a potential tool for prevention and treatment of HSC activation. - Highlights: • Autophagy is closely related to lipid degradation in hepatic stellate cells. • Tetrandrine (Tet) causes lipid accumulation via blockade of autophagy in HSC-T6 cells. • Tet blocked autophagy without affecting lysosomal function unlike bafilomycin A_1. • Perilipin 1 was specifically co-localized with LC3 in Tet-treated cells. • Perilipin 1 may play potential roles in autophagy-mediated lipid degradation.

Tetrandrine induces lipid accumulation through blockade of autophagy in a hepatic stellate cell line

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Miyamae, Yusaku, E-mail: ymiyamae@lif.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Oiwakecho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Nishito, Yukina; Nakai, Naomi [Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Oiwakecho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Nagumo, Yoko; Usui, Takeo [Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572 (Japan); Masuda, Seiji; Kambe, Taiho [Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Oiwakecho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Nagao, Masaya, E-mail: mnagao@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Oiwakecho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)

2016-08-12

Macroautophagy, or autophagy, is a cellular response in which unnecessary cytoplasmic components, including lipids and organelles, are self-degraded. Recent studies closely related autophagy to activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), a process critical in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. During HSC activation, cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) are degraded as autophagic cargo, and then cells express fibrogenic genes. Thus, inhibition of autophagy in HSCs is a potential therapeutic approach for attenuating liver fibrosis. We found that tetrandrine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Stephania tetrandra, induced lipid accumulation, a phenotype associated with quiescent HSCs, through blockade of autophagy in the rat-derived HSC line HSC-T6. Tetrandrine inhibited autophagic flux without affecting lysosomal function. A phenotypic comparison using siRNA knockdown suggested that tetrandrine may target regulators, involved in fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes (e.g., syntaxin 17). Moreover, perilipin 1, an LD-coated protein, co-localized specifically with LC3, a marker protein for autophagosomes, in tetrandrine-treated HSC-T6 cells. This suggests a potential role for perilipin 1 in autophagy-mediated LD degradation in HSCs. Our results identified tetrandrine as a potential tool for prevention and treatment of HSC activation. - Highlights: • Autophagy is closely related to lipid degradation in hepatic stellate cells. • Tetrandrine (Tet) causes lipid accumulation via blockade of autophagy in HSC-T6 cells. • Tet blocked autophagy without affecting lysosomal function unlike bafilomycin A{sub 1}. • Perilipin 1 was specifically co-localized with LC3 in Tet-treated cells. • Perilipin 1 may play potential roles in autophagy-mediated lipid degradation.

Green Tea Polyphenols, Mimicking the Effects of Dietary Restriction, Ameliorate High-Fat Diet-Induced Kidney Injury via Regulating Autophagy Flux

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Xiao Xie

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Epidemiological and experimental studies reveal that Western dietary patterns contribute to chronic kidney disease, whereas dietary restriction (DR or dietary polyphenols such as green tea polyphenols (GTPs can ameliorate the progression of kidney injury. This study aimed to investigate the renal protective effects of GTPs and explore the underlying mechanisms. Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: standard diet (STD, DR, high-fat diet (HFD, and three diets plus 200 mg/kg(bw/day GTPs, respectively. After 18 weeks, HFD group exhibited renal injuries by increased serum cystatin C levels and urinary N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activity, which can be ameliorated by GTPs. Meanwhile, autophagy impairment as denoted by autophagy-lysosome related proteins, including LC3-II, Beclin-1, p62, cathepsin B, cathepsin D and LAMP-1, was observed in HFD group, whereas DR or GTPs promoted renal autophagy activities and GTPs ameliorated HFD-induced autophagy impairment. In vitro, autophagy flux suppression was detected in palmitic acid (PA-treated human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2, which was ameliorated by epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG. Furthermore, GTPs (or EGCG elevated phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase in the kidneys of HFD-treated rats and in PA-treated HK-2 cells. These findings revealed that GTPs mimic the effects of DR to induce autophagy and exert a renal protective effect by alleviating HFD-induced autophagy suppression.

Human vaginal epithelial cells augment autophagy marker genes in response to Candida albicans infection.

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Shroff, Ankit; Sequeira, Roicy; Reddy, Kudumula Venkata Rami

2017-04-01

Autophagy plays an important role in clearance of intracellular pathogens. However, no information is available on its involvement in vaginal infections such as vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (VVC). VVC is intimately associated with the immune status of the human vaginal epithelial cells (VECs). The objective of our study is to decipher if autophagy process is involved during Candida albicans infection of VECs. In this study, C. albicans infection system was established using human VEC line (VK2/E6E7). Infection-induced change in the expression of autophagy markers like LC3 and LAMP-1 were analyzed by RT-PCR, q-PCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies were carried out to ascertain the localization of autophagosomes. Multiplex ELISA was carried out to determine the cytokine profiles. Analysis of LC3 and LAMP-1 expression at mRNA and protein levels at different time points revealed up-regulation of these markers 6 hours post C. albicans infection. LC3 and LAMP-1 puncti were observed in infected VECs after 12 hours. TEM studies showed C. albicans entrapped in autophagosomes. Cytokines-TNF-α and IL-1β were up-regulated in culture supernatants of VECs at 12 hours post-infection. The results suggest that C. albicans invasion led to the activation of autophagy as a host defense mechanism of VECs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The C/EBPbeta isoform, liver-inhibitory protein (LIP), induces autophagy in breast cancer cell lines

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Abreu, Maria M.; Sealy, Linda

2010-01-01

Autophagy is a process involving the bulk degradation of cellular components in the cytoplasm via the lysosomal degradation pathway. Autophagy manifests a protective role in stressful conditions such as nutrient or growth factor depletion; however, extensive degradation of regulatory molecules or organelles essential for survival can lead to the demise of the cell, or autophagy-mediated cell death. The role of autophagy in cancer is complex with roles in both tumor suppression and tumor promotion proposed. Here we report that an isoform of the C/EBPbeta transcription factor, liver-enriched inhibitory protein (LIP), induces cell death in human breast cancer cells and stimulates autophagy. Overexpression of LIP is incompatible with cell growth and when cell cycle analysis was performed, a DNA profile of cells undergoing apoptosis was not observed. Instead, LIP expressing cells appeared to have large autophagic vesicles when examined via electron microscopy. Autophagy was further assessed in LIP expressing cells by monitoring the development of acidic vesicular organelles and conversion of LC3 from the cytoplasmic form to the membrane-bound form. Our work shows that C/EBPbeta isoform, LIP, is another member of the group of transcription factors, including E2F1 and p53, which are capable of playing a role in autophagy.

The C/EBPbeta isoform, liver-inhibitory protein (LIP), induces autophagy in breast cancer cell lines

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Abreu, Maria M. [Department of Cancer Biology, 752 Preston Research Building, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 (United States); Sealy, Linda, E-mail: Linda.sealy@vanderbilt.edu [Department of Cancer Biology, 752 Preston Research Building, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 (United States); Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, 752 Preston Research Building, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 (United States)

2010-11-15

Autophagy is a process involving the bulk degradation of cellular components in the cytoplasm via the lysosomal degradation pathway. Autophagy manifests a protective role in stressful conditions such as nutrient or growth factor depletion; however, extensive degradation of regulatory molecules or organelles essential for survival can lead to the demise of the cell, or autophagy-mediated cell death. The role of autophagy in cancer is complex with roles in both tumor suppression and tumor promotion proposed. Here we report that an isoform of the C/EBPbeta transcription factor, liver-enriched inhibitory protein (LIP), induces cell death in human breast cancer cells and stimulates autophagy. Overexpression of LIP is incompatible with cell growth and when cell cycle analysis was performed, a DNA profile of cells undergoing apoptosis was not observed. Instead, LIP expressing cells appeared to have large autophagic vesicles when examined via electron microscopy. Autophagy was further assessed in LIP expressing cells by monitoring the development of acidic vesicular organelles and conversion of LC3 from the cytoplasmic form to the membrane-bound form. Our work shows that C/EBPbeta isoform, LIP, is another member of the group of transcription factors, including E2F1 and p53, which are capable of playing a role in autophagy.

TFE3 Alleviates Hepatic Steatosis through Autophagy-Induced Lipophagy and PGC1α-Mediated Fatty Acid β-Oxidation

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Jie Xiong; Kezhou Wang; Jiangping He; Guangya Zhang; Dandan Zhang; Fengling Chen

2016-01-01

Autophagy flux deficiency is closely related to the development of hepatic steatosis. Transcription factor E3 (TFE3) is reported to be a crucial gene that regulates autophagy flux and lysosome function. Therefore, we investigated the role of TFE3 in a cell model of hepatic steatosis. We constructed L02 hepatocyte lines that stably over-expressed or knocked down the expression of TFE3. Subsequently, the effects of TFE3 on hepatocellular lipid metabolism were determined by autophagy flux assay,...

Increased autophagy and apoptosis contribute to muscle atrophy in a myotonic dystrophy type 1 Drosophila model

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Ariadna Bargiela

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Muscle mass wasting is one of the most debilitating symptoms of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1 disease, ultimately leading to immobility, respiratory defects, dysarthria, dysphagia and death in advanced stages of the disease. In order to study the molecular mechanisms leading to the degenerative loss of adult muscle tissue in DM1, we generated an inducible Drosophila model of expanded CTG trinucleotide repeat toxicity that resembles an adult-onset form of the disease. Heat-shock induced expression of 480 CUG repeats in adult flies resulted in a reduction in the area of the indirect flight muscles. In these model flies, reduction of muscle area was concomitant with increased apoptosis and autophagy. Inhibition of apoptosis or autophagy mediated by the overexpression of DIAP1, mTOR (also known as Tor or muscleblind, or by RNA interference (RNAi-mediated silencing of autophagy regulatory genes, achieved a rescue of the muscle-loss phenotype. In fact, mTOR overexpression rescued muscle size to a size comparable to that in control flies. These results were validated in skeletal muscle biopsies from DM1 patients in which we found downregulated autophagy and apoptosis repressor genes, and also in DM1 myoblasts where we found increased autophagy. These findings provide new insights into the signaling pathways involved in DM1 disease pathogenesis.

Onjisaponin B derived from Radix Polygalae enhances autophagy and accelerates the degradation of mutant α-synuclein and huntingtin in PC-12 cells.

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Wu, An-Guo; Wong, Vincent Kam-Wai; Xu, Su-Wei; Chan, Wai-Kit; Ng, Choi-In; Liu, Liang; Law, Betty Yuen-Kwan

2013-11-15

Emerging evidence indicates important protective roles being played by autophagy in neurodegenerative disorders through clearance of aggregate-prone or mutant proteins. In the current study, we aimed to identify autophagy inducers from Chinese medicinal herbs as a potential neuroprotective agent that enhances the clearance of mutant huntingtin and α-synuclein in PC-12 cells. Through intensive screening using the green fluorescent protein-light chain 3 (GFP-LC3) autophagy detection platform, we found that the ethanol extracts of Radix Polygalae (Yuan Zhi) were capable of inducing autophagy. Further investigation showed that among three single components derived from Radix Polygalae--i.e., polygalacic acid, senegenin and onjisaponin B--onjisaponin B was able to induce autophagy and accelerate both the removal of mutant huntingtin and A53T α-synuclein, which are highly associated with Huntington disease and Parkinson disease, respectively. Our study further demonstrated that onjisaponin B induces autophagy via the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, findings in the current study provide detailed insights into the protective mechanism of a novel autophagy inducer, which is valuable for further investigation as a new candidate agent for modulating neurodegenerative disorders through the reduction of toxicity and clearance of mutant proteins in the cellular level.

Beclin1-induced autophagy abrogates radioresistance of lung cancer cells by suppressing osteopontin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Seung-Hee; Minai-Tehrani, Arash; Shin, Ji-Young

2012-01-01

Osteopontin (OPN) serves as an indicator of resistance to radiotherapy. However, the role of OPN in the development of acquired radioresistance in human lung cancer cells has not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, the potential importance of OPN as a marker of lung cancer with a potential significant role in the development of radioresistance against repeated radiotherapy has prompted us to define the pathways by which OPN regulates lung cancer cell growth. In addition, autophagy has been reported to play a key role in the radiosensitization of cancer cells. Here, we report that increased OPN expression through induction of nuclear p53 following irradiation was inhibited by exogenous beclin-1 (BECN1). Our results clearly show that BECN1 gene expression led to induction of autophagy and inhibition of cancer cell growth and angiogenesis. Our results suggest that the induction of autophagy abrogated the radioresistance of the cancer cells. Interestingly, we showed that knockdown of OPN by lentivirus-mediated shRNA induced the autophagy of human lung cancer cell. Taken together, these results suggest that OPN and BECN1 can be molecular targets for overcoming radioresistance by controlling autophagy. (author)

High Endogenous Accumulation of ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Protect against Ischemia-Reperfusion Renal Injury through AMPK-Mediated Autophagy in Fat-1 Mice

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Do Hyeong Gwon

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Regulated autophagy is involved in the repair of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI. Fat-1 transgenic mice produce ω3-Polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFAs from ω6-Polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω6-PUFAs without a dietary ω3-PUFAs supplement, leading to a high accumulation of omega-3 in various tissues. ω3-PUFAs show protective effects against various renal injuries and it has recently been reported that ω3-PUFAs regulate autophagy. We assessed whether ω3-PUFAs attenuated IR-induced acute kidney injury (AKI and evaluated its associated mechanisms. C57Bl/6 background fat-1 mice and wild-type mice (wt were divided into four groups: wt sham (n = 10, fat-1 sham (n = 10, wt IRI (reperfusion 35 min after clamping both the renal artery and vein; n = 15, and fat-1 IRI (n = 15. Kidneys and blood were harvested 24 h after IRI and renal histological and molecular data were collected. The kidneys of fat-1 mice showed better renal cell survival, renal function, and pathological damage than those of wt mice after IRI. In addition, fat-1 mice showed less oxidative stress and autophagy impairment; greater amounts of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3-II, Beclin-1, and Atg7; lower amounts of p62; and, higher levels of renal cathepsin D and ATP6E than wt kidneys. They also showed more adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK activation, which resulted in the inhibition of phosphorylation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR. Collectively, ω3-PUFAs in fat-1 mice contributed to AMPK mediated autophagy activation, leading to a renoprotective response.

Wheat homologs of yeast ATG6 function in autophagy and are implicated in powdery mildew immunity.

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Yue, Jieyu; Sun, Hong; Zhang, Wei; Pei, Dan; He, Yang; Wang, Huazhong

2015-04-01

Autophagy-related ATG6 proteins are pleiotropic proteins functioning in autophagy and the phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate-signaling pathways. Arabidopsis ATG6 regulates normal plant growth, pollen development and germination, and plant responses to biotic/abiotic stresses. However, the ATG6 functions in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), an important food crop, are lacking. We identified three members, TaATG6a-6c, of the ATG6 family from common wheat. TaATG6a, 6b and 6c were localized on homeologous chromosomes 3DL, 3BL and 3AL, respectively, of the allo-hexaploid wheat genome, and evidence was provided for their essential role in autophagy. The TaATG6a-GFP fusion protein was found in punctate pre-autophagosomal structures. The expression of each TaATG6 gene restored the accumulation of autophagic bodies in atg6-mutant yeast. Additionally, TaATG6 knockdown plants showed impaired constitutive and pathogen-induced autophagy and growth abnormalities under normal conditions. We also examined the expression patterns of wheat ATG6s for clues to their physiological roles, and found that their expression was induced by the fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), the causal agent of powdery mildew, and by abiotic stress factors. A role for TaATG6s in wheat immunity to powdery mildew was further implied when knockdowns of TaATG6s weakly compromised the broad-spectrum powdery mildew resistance gene Pm21-triggered resistance response and, conversely and significantly, enhanced the basal resistance of susceptible plants. In addition, leaf cell death was sometimes induced by growth-retarded small Bgt mycelia on susceptible TaATG6 knockdown plants after a long period of interaction. Thus, we provide an important extension of the previous characterization of plant ATG6 genes in wheat, and observed a role for autophagy genes in wheat immune responses to fungal pathogens. Three wheat ATG6s were identified and shown to be essential for autophagy biogenesis. Wheat ATG6s are

Starvation Promotes Autophagy-Associated Maturation of the Ovary in the Giant Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii

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Wilairat Kankuan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Limitation of food availability (starvation is known to influence the reproductive ability of animals. Autophagy is a lysosomal driven degradation process that protects the cell under metabolic stress conditions, such as during nutrient shortage. Whether, and how starvation-induced autophagy impacts on the maturation and function of reproductive organs in animals are still open questions. In this study, we have investigated the effects of starvation on histological and cellular changes that may be associated with autophagy in the ovary of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobachium rosenbergii. To this end, the female prawns were daily fed (controls or unfed (starvation condition for up to 12 days, and the ovary tissue was analyzed at different time-points. Starvation triggered ovarian maturation, and concomitantly increased the expression of autophagy markers in vitellogenic oocytes. The immunoreactivities for autophagy markers, including Beclin1, LC3-II, and Lamp1, were enhanced in the late oocytes within the mature ovaries, especially at the vitellogenic stages. These markers co-localized with vitellin in the yolk granules within the oocytes, suggesting that autophagy induced by starvation could drive vitellin utilization, thus promoting ovarian maturation.

The protective effect of autophagy on mouse spermatocyte derived cells exposure to 1800MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation.

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Liu, Kaijun; Zhang, Guowei; Wang, Zhi; Liu, Yong; Dong, Jianyun; Dong, Xiaomei; Liu, Jinyi; Cao, Jia; Ao, Lin; Zhang, Shaoxiang

2014-08-04

The increasing exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation emitted from mobile phone use has raised public concern regarding the biological effects of RF exposure on the male reproductive system. Autophagy contributes to maintaining intracellular homeostasis under environmental stress. To clarify whether RF exposure could induce autophagy in the spermatocyte, mouse spermatocyte-derived cells (GC-2) were exposed to 1800MHz Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) signals in GSM-Talk mode at specific absorption rate (SAR) values of 1w/kg, 2w/kg or 4w/kg for 24h, respectively. The results indicated that the expression of LC3-II increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner with RF exposure, and showed a significant change at the SAR value of 4w/kg. The autophagosome formation and the occurrence of autophagy were further confirmed by GFP-LC3 transient transfection assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Furthermore, the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II was enhanced by co-treatment with Chloroquine (CQ), indicating autophagic flux could be enhanced by RF exposure. Intracellular ROS levels significantly increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner after cells were exposed to RF. Pretreatment with anti-oxidative NAC obviously decreased the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II and attenuated the degradation of p62 induced by RF exposure. Meanwhile, phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) significantly increased after RF exposure at the SAR value of 2w/kg and 4w/kg. Moreover, we observed that RF exposure did not increase the percentage of apoptotic cells, but inhibition of autophagy could increase the percentage of apoptotic cells. These findings suggested that autophagy flux could be enhanced by 1800MHz GSM exposure (4w/kg), which is mediated by ROS generation. Autophagy may play an important role in preventing cells from apoptotic cell death under RF exposure stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modulation of pathogen recognition by autophagy

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Ji Eun eOh

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is an ancient biological process for maintaining cellular homeostasis by degradation of long-lived cytosolic proteins and organelles. Recent studies demonstrated that autophagy is availed by immune cells to regulate innate immunity. On the one hand, cells exert direct effector function by degrading intracellular pathogens; on the other hand, autophagy modulates pathogen recognition and downstream signaling for innate immune responses. Pathogen recognition via pattern recognition receptors induces autophagy. The function of phagocytic cells is enhanced by recruitment of autophagy-related proteins. Moreover, autophagy acts as a delivery system for viral replication complexes to migrate to the endosomal compartments where virus sensing occurs. In another case, key molecules of the autophagic pathway have been found to negatively regulate immune signaling, thus preventing aberrant activation of cytokine production and consequent immune responses. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in the role of autophagy in pathogen recognition and modulation of innate immune responses.

Downregulation of protein kinase CK2 activity facilitates tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated chondrocyte death through apoptosis and autophagy.

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Sung Won Lee

Full Text Available Despite the numerous studies of protein kinase CK2, little progress has been made in understanding its function in chondrocyte death. Our previous study first demonstrated that CK2 is involved in apoptosis of rat articular chondrocytes. Recent studies have suggested that CK2 downregulation is associated with aging. Thus examining the involvement of CK2 downregulation in chondrocyte death is an urgently required task. We undertook this study to examine whether CK2 downregulation modulates chondrocyte death. We first measured CK2 activity in articular chondrocytes of 6-, 21- and 30-month-old rats. Noticeably, CK2 activity was downregulated in chondrocytes with advancing age. To build an in vitro experimental system for simulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α-induced cell death in aged chondrocytes with decreased CK2 activity, chondrocytes were co-treated with CK2 inhibitors and TNF-α. Viability assay demonstrated that CK2 inhibitors facilitated TNF-α-mediated chondrocyte death. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, nuclear staining, flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, confocal microscopy, western blot and transmission electron microscopy were conducted to assess cell death modes. The results of multiple assays showed that this cell death was mediated by apoptosis. Importantly, autophagy was also involved in this process, as supported by the appearance of a punctuate LC3 pattern and autophagic vacuoles. The inhibition of autophagy by silencing of autophage-related genes 5 and 7 as well as by 3-methyladenine treatment protected chondrocytes against cell death and caspase activation, indicating that autophagy led to the induction of apoptosis. Autophagic cells were observed in cartilage obtained from osteoarthritis (OA model rats and human OA patients. Our findings indicate that CK2 down regulation facilitates TNF-α-mediated chondrocyte death through apoptosis and autophagy. It should be clarified in the future if autophagy observed is a consequence

Elaborating the Role of Natural Products-Induced Autophagy in Cancer Treatment: Achievements and Artifacts in the State of the Art

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Ning Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a homeostatic process that is highly conserved across different types of mammalian cells. Autophagy is able to relieve tumor cell from nutrient and oxidative stress during the rapid expansion of cancer. Excessive and sustained autophagy may lead to cell death and tumor shrinkage. It was shown in literature that many anticancer natural compounds and extracts could initiate autophagy in tumor cells. As summarized in this review, the tumor suppressive action of natural products-induced autophagy may lead to cell senescence, provoke apoptosis-independent cell death, and complement apoptotic cell death by robust or target-specific mechanisms. In some cases, natural products-induced autophagy could protect tumor cells from apoptotic death. Technical variations in detecting autophagy affect data quality, and study focus should be made on elaborating the role of autophagy in deciding cell fate. In vivo study monitoring of autophagy in cancer treatment is expected to be the future direction. The clinical-relevant action of autophagy-inducing natural products should be highlighted in future study. As natural products are an important resource in discovery of lead compound of anticancer drug, study on the role of autophagy in tumor suppressive effect of natural products continues to be necessary and emerging.

Targeted deletion of Atg5 reveals differential roles of autophagy in keratin K5-expressing epithelia

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Sukseree, Supawadee [Research Division of Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok (Thailand); Rossiter, Heidemarie; Mildner, Michael [Research Division of Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Pammer, Johannes [Institute of Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Buchberger, Maria; Gruber, Florian [Research Division of Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Watanapokasin, Ramida [Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok (Thailand); Tschachler, Erwin [Research Division of Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Eckhart, Leopold, E-mail: leopold.eckhart@meduniwien.ac.at [Research Division of Biology and Pathobiology of the Skin, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna (Austria)

2013-01-11

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We generated mice lacking Atg5 and autophagy in keratin K5-positive epithelia. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Suppression of autophagy in thymic epithelium was not associated with signs of autoimmunity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Autophagy was required for normal terminal differentiation of preputial gland cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Autophagy-deficient cells of the preputial glands degraded nuclear DNA prematurely. -- Abstract: Autophagy contributes to the homeostasis of many tissues, yet its role in epithelia is incompletely understood. A recent report proposed that Atg5-dependent autophagy in thymic epithelial cells is essential for their function in the negative selection of self-reactive T-cells and, thus, for the suppression of tissue inflammation. Here we crossed mice carrying floxed alleles of the Atg5 gene with mice expressing the Cre recombinase under the control of the keratin K5 promoter to suppress autophagy in all K5-positive epithelia. The efficiency of autophagy abrogation was confirmed by immunoanalyses of LC3, which was converted to the autophagy-associated LC3-II form in normal but not Atg5-deficient cells, and of p62, which accumulated in Atg5-deficient cells. Mice carrying the epithelium-specific deletion of Atg5 showed normal weight gain, absence of tissue inflammation, and a normal morphology of the thymic epithelium. By contrast, autophagy-deficient epithelial cells of the preputial gland showed aberrant eosinophilic staining in histology and premature degradation of nuclear DNA during terminal differentiation. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that autophagy is dispensable for the suppression of autoimmunity by thymic epithelial cells but essential for normal differentiation of the preputial gland in mice.

Cytotoxic Autophagy in Cancer Therapy

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Khushboo Sharma

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a process of cellular self-digestion, whereby the cell degrades subcellular materials in order to generate energy and metabolic precursors in order to prolong survival, classically under conditions of nutrient deprivation. Autophagy can also involve the degradation of damaged or aged organelles, and misfolded or damaged proteins to eliminate these components that might otherwise be deleterious to cellular survival. Consequently, autophagy has generally been considered a prosurvival response. Many, if not most chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation also promote autophagy, which is generally considered a cytoprotective response, in that its inhibition frequently promotes apoptotic cells death. Furthermore, it has been shown that conventional chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation alone rarely induce a form of autophagy that leads to cell death. However, there are multiple examples in the literature where newer chemotherapeutic agents, drug combinations or drugs in combination with radiation promote autophagic cell death. This review will describe autophagic cell death induced in breast tumor cells, lung cancer cells as well as glioblastoma, demonstrating that it cannot be concluded that stress induced autophagy is, of necessity, cytoprotective in function.

Induction of autophagy by Imatinib sequesters Bcr-Abl in autophagosomes and down-regulates Bcr-Abl protein.

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Elzinga, Baukje M

2013-06-01

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a disease of hematopoietic stem cells which harbor the chimeric gene Bcr-Abl. Expression levels of this constitutively active tyrosine kinase are critical for response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment and also disease progression, yet the regulation of protein stability is poorly understood. We have previously demonstrated that imatinib can induce autophagy in Bcr-Abl expressing cells. Autophagy has been associated with the clearance of large macromolecular signaling complexes and abnormal proteins, however, the contribution of autophagy to the turnover of Bcr-Abl protein in imatinib treated cells is unknown. In this study, we show that following imatinib treatment, Bcr-Abl is sequestered into vesicular structures that co-localize with the autophagy marker LC3 or GABARAP. This association is inhibited by siRNA mediated knockdown of autophagy regulators (Beclin 1\\/ATG7). Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy also reduced Bcr-Abl\\/LC3 co-localization in both K562 and CML patient cells. Bcr-Abl protein expression was reduced with imatinib treatment. Inhibition of both autophagy and proteasome activity in imatinib treated cells was required to restore Bcr-Abl protein levels to those of untreated cells. This ability to down-regulate Bcr-Abl protein levels through the induction of autophagy may be an additional and important feature of the activity of imatinib.

A Yin-Yang 1/miR-30a regulatory circuit modulates autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells.

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Yang, Chuang; Zhang, Jing-Jing; Peng, Yun-Peng; Zhu, Yi; Yin, Ling-Di; Wei, Ji-Shu; Gao, Wen-Tao; Jiang, Kui-Rong; Miao, Yi

2017-10-19

Autophagy is a highly regulated biological process that mediates the degradation of intracellular components. It is required for tumor cell metabolism and homeostasis. Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) has been reported to be involved in autophagy in several carcinomas. However, its role in autophagy in pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest human malignancies, is unknown. Here, we investigated the function of YY1 in pancreatic cancer cells autophagy and its mechanisms of action. The activity of cells undergoing autophagy was assessed using transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. A luciferase activity assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) were also used to identify putative downstream targets of YY1. YY1 was confirmed to regulate autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells. It was found to directly regulate the expression of miR-30a, a known modulator of autophagy-associated genes. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-30a attenuated the pro-autophagic effects of YY1. Cumulatively, our data suggest that miR-30a acts in a feedback loop to modulate the pro-autophagic activities of YY1. Thus, autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells may be regulated, in part, by a tightly coordinated YY1/miR-30a regulatory circuit. These findings provide a potential druggable target for the development of treatments for pancreatic cancer.

Depletion of autophagy-related genes ATG3 and ATG5 in Tenebrio molitor leads to decreased survivability against an intracellular pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes.

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Tindwa, Hamisi; Jo, Yong Hun; Patnaik, Bharat Bhusan; Noh, Mi Young; Kim, Dong Hyun; Kim, Iksoo; Han, Yeon Soo; Lee, Yong Seok; Lee, Bok Luel; Kim, Nam Jung

2015-01-01

Macroautophagy (autophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process involved in physiological and developmental processes including cell survival, death, and innate immunity. Homologues of most of 36 originally discovered autophagy-related (ATG) genes in yeast have been characterized in higher eukaryotes including insects. In this study, the homologues of ATG3 (TmATG3) and ATG5 (TmATG5) were isolated from the coleopteran beetle, Tenebrio molitor by expressed sequence tag and RNAseq approaches. The cDNA of TmATG3 and TmATG5 comprise open-reading frame sizes of 963 and 792 bp encoding polypeptides of 320 and 263 amino acid residues, respectively. TmATG3 and TmATG5 mRNA are expressed in all developmental stages, and mainly in fat body and hemocytes of larvae. TmATG3 and TmATG5 showed an overall sequence identity of 58-95% to other insect Atg proteins. There exist clear one-to-one orthologs of TmATG3 and TmATG5 in Tribolium and that they clustered together in the gene tree. Depletion of TmATG3 and TmATG5 by RNA interference led to a significant reduction in survival ability of T. molitor larvae against an intracellular pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. Six days post-Listeria challenge, the survival rate in the dsEGFP-injected (where EGFP is enhanced green fluorescent protein) control larvae was significantly higher (55%) compared to 4 and 3% for TmATG3 and TmATG5 double-stranded RNA injected larvae, respectively. These data suggested that TmATG3 and TmATG5 may play putative role in mediating autophagy-based clearance of Listeria in T. molitor model. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dengue Virus and Autophagy

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Nicholas S. Heaton

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Several independent groups have published that autophagy is required for optimal RNA replication of dengue virus (DENV. Initially, it was postulated that autophagosomes might play a structural role in replication complex formation. However, cryo-EM tomography of DENV replication complexes showed that DENV replicates on endoplasmic reticulum (ER cisternae invaginations and not on classical autophagosomes. Recently, it was reported that autophagy plays an indirect role in DENV replication by modulating cellular lipid metabolism. DENV-induced autophagosomes deplete cellular triglycerides that are stored in lipid droplets, leading to increased β-oxidation and energy production. This is the first example of a virus triggering autophagy to modulate cellular physiology. In this review, we summarize these data and discuss new questions and implications for autophagy during DENV replication.

Re-expression of ARHI (DIRAS3) induces autophagy in breast cancer cells and enhances the inhibitory effect of paclitaxel

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Zou, Chun-Fang; Yu, Yinhua; Jia, Luoqi; Jin, Hongyan; Yao, Ming; Zhao, Naiqing; Huan, Jin; Lu, Zhen; Bast, Robert C Jr; Feng, Youji

2011-01-01

ARHI is a Ras-related imprinted gene that inhibits cancer cell growth and motility. ARHI is downregulated in the majority of breast cancers, and loss of its expression is associated with its progression from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive disease. In ovarian cancer, re-expression of ARHI induces autophagy and leads to autophagic death in cell culture; however, ARHI re-expression enables ovarian cancer cells to remain dormant when they are grown in mice as xenografts. The purpose of this study is to examine whether ARHI induces autophagy in breast cancer cells and to evaluate the effects of ARHI gene re-expression in combination with paclitaxel. Re-expression of ARHI was achieved by transfection, by treatment with trichostatin A (TSA) or by a combination of TSA and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC) in breast cancer cell cultures and by liposomal delivery of ARHI in breast tumor xenografts. ARHI re-expression induces autophagy in breast cancer cells, and ARHI is essential for the induction of autophagy. When ARHI was re-expressed in breast cancer cells treated with paclitaxel, the growth inhibitory effect of paclitaxel was enhanced in both the cell culture and the xenografts. Although paclitaxel alone did not induce autophagy in breast cancer cells, it enhanced ARHI-induced autophagy. Conversely, ARHI re-expression promoted paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest. ARHI re-expression induces autophagic cell death in breast cancer cells and enhances the inhibitory effects of paclitaxel by promoting autophagy, apoptosis, and G2/M cell cycle arrest

Autophagy genes Smatg8 and Smatg4 are required for fruiting-body development, vegetative growth and ascospore germination in the filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora.

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Voigt, Oliver; Pöggeler, Stefanie

2013-01-01

Autophagy is a tightly controlled degradation process involved in various developmental aspects of eukaryotes. However, its involvement in developmental processes of multicellular filamentous ascomycetes is largely unknown. Here, we analyzed the impact of the autophagic proteins SmATG8 and SmATG4 on the sexual and vegetative development of the filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora. A Saccharomyces cerevisiae complementation assay demonstrated that the S. macrospora Smatg8 and Smatg4 genes can functionally replace the yeast homologs. By generating homokaryotic deletion mutants, we showed that the S. macrospora SmATG8 and SmATG4 orthologs were associated with autophagy-dependent processes. Smatg8 and Smatg4 deletions abolished fruiting-body formation and impaired vegetative growth and ascospore germination, but not hyphal fusion. We demonstrated that SmATG4 was capable of processing the SmATG8 precursor. SmATG8 was localized to autophagosomes, whereas SmATG4 was distributed throughout the cytoplasm of S. macrospora. Furthermore, we could show that Smatg8 and Smatg4 are not only required for nonselective macroautophagy, but for selective macropexophagy as well. Taken together, our results suggest that in S. macrospora, autophagy seems to be an essential and constitutively active process to sustain high energy levels for filamentous growth and multicellular development even under nonstarvation conditions.

LC3B is indispensable for selective autophagy of p62 but not basal autophagy

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Maruyama, Yoko; Sou, Yu-Shin; Kageyama, Shun; Takahashi, Takao; Ueno, Takashi; Tanaka, Keiji; Komatsu, Masaaki; Ichimura, Yoshinobu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Knockdown of LC3 or GABARAP families did not affect the basal autophagy. • LC3B has a higher affinity for the autophagy-specific substrate, p62, than GABARAPs. • siRNA-mediated knockdown of LC3B, but not that of GABARAPs, resulted in significant accumulation of p62. - Abstract: Autophagy is a unique intracellular protein degradation system accompanied by autophagosome formation. Besides its important role through bulk degradation in supplying nutrients, this system has an ability to degrade certain proteins, organelles, and invading bacteria selectively to maintain cellular homeostasis. In yeasts, Atg8p plays key roles in both autophagosome formation and selective autophagy based on its membrane fusion property and interaction with autophagy adaptors/specific substrates. In contrast to the single Atg8p in yeast, mammals have 6 homologs of Atg8p comprising LC3 and GABARAP families. However, it is not clear these two families have different or similar functions. The aim of this study was to determine the separate roles of LC3 and GABARAP families in basal/constitutive and/or selective autophagy. While the combined knockdown of LC3 and GABARAP families caused a defect in long-lived protein degradation through lysosomes, knockdown of each had no effect on the degradation. Meanwhile, knockdown of LC3B but not GABARAPs resulted in significant accumulation of p62/Sqstm1, one of the selective substrate for autophagy. Our results suggest that while mammalian Atg8 homologs are functionally redundant with regard to autophagosome formation, selective autophagy is regulated by specific Atg8 homologs

LC3B is indispensable for selective autophagy of p62 but not basal autophagy

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Maruyama, Yoko [Protein Metabolism Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506 (Japan); Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan); Sou, Yu-Shin; Kageyama, Shun [Protein Metabolism Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506 (Japan); Takahashi, Takao [Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan); Ueno, Takashi [Division of Proteomics and Biomolecular Science, Center for Biomedical Research Resources, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421 (Japan); Tanaka, Keiji [Laboratory of Protein Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506 (Japan); Komatsu, Masaaki, E-mail: komatsu-ms@igakuken.or.jp [Protein Metabolism Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506 (Japan); Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510 (Japan); Ichimura, Yoshinobu, E-mail: ichimura-ys@igakuken.or.jp [Protein Metabolism Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506 (Japan)

2014-03-28

Highlights: • Knockdown of LC3 or GABARAP families did not affect the basal autophagy. • LC3B has a higher affinity for the autophagy-specific substrate, p62, than GABARAPs. • siRNA-mediated knockdown of LC3B, but not that of GABARAPs, resulted in significant accumulation of p62. - Abstract: Autophagy is a unique intracellular protein degradation system accompanied by autophagosome formation. Besides its important role through bulk degradation in supplying nutrients, this system has an ability to degrade certain proteins, organelles, and invading bacteria selectively to maintain cellular homeostasis. In yeasts, Atg8p plays key roles in both autophagosome formation and selective autophagy based on its membrane fusion property and interaction with autophagy adaptors/specific substrates. In contrast to the single Atg8p in yeast, mammals have 6 homologs of Atg8p comprising LC3 and GABARAP families. However, it is not clear these two families have different or similar functions. The aim of this study was to determine the separate roles of LC3 and GABARAP families in basal/constitutive and/or selective autophagy. While the combined knockdown of LC3 and GABARAP families caused a defect in long-lived protein degradation through lysosomes, knockdown of each had no effect on the degradation. Meanwhile, knockdown of LC3B but not GABARAPs resulted in significant accumulation of p62/Sqstm1, one of the selective substrate for autophagy. Our results suggest that while mammalian Atg8 homologs are functionally redundant with regard to autophagosome formation, selective autophagy is regulated by specific Atg8 homologs.

Autophagy is required for efficient meiosis progression and proper meiotic chromosome segregation in fission yeast.

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Matsuhara, Hirotada; Yamamoto, Ayumu

2016-01-01

Autophagy is a conserved intracellular degradation system, which contributes to development and differentiation of various organisms. Yeast cells undergo meiosis under nitrogen-starved conditions and require autophagy for meiosis initiation. However, the precise roles of autophagy in meiosis remain unclear. Here, we show that autophagy is required for efficient meiosis progression and proper meiotic chromosome segregation in fission yeast. Autophagy-defective strains bearing a mutation in the autophagy core factor gene atg1, atg7, or atg14 exhibit deformed nuclear structures during meiosis. These mutant cells require an extracellular nitrogen supply for meiosis progression following their entry into meiosis and show delayed meiosis progression even with a nitrogen supply. In addition, they show frequent chromosome dissociation from the spindle together with spindle overextension, forming extra nuclei. Furthermore, Aurora kinase, which regulates chromosome segregation and spindle elongation, is significantly increased at the centromere and spindle in the mutant cells. Aurora kinase down-regulation eliminated delayed initiation of meiosis I and II, chromosome dissociation, and spindle overextension, indicating that increased Aurora kinase activity may cause these aberrances in the mutant cells. Our findings show a hitherto unrecognized relationship of autophagy with the nuclear structure, regulation of cell cycle progression, and chromosome segregation in meiosis. © 2015 The Molecular Biology Society of Japan and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The role of autophagy inhibition in the enhanced cytotoxicity of temozolomide on melanoma cell lines

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O. O. Ryabaya

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Despite advantages in treatment of metastatic melanoma it remains resistant to current therapy. Recent evidence indicates that tumor cells could overcome death through autophagy, a process that degrades cellular proteins and organelles to maintain cellular biosynthesis during nutrient deprivation or lack of energy. Objective: to investigate the involvement of autophagy inhibitors chloroquine (CQ and LY-294.002 (LY in temozolomide (TMZ cytotoxicity in human melanoma cell lines.Materials and methods. The study was performed on patient-derived melanoma cell lines Mel Z, Mel IL and Mel MTP. The antiproliferative activity of combined TMZ and autophagy inhibitors treatment was determined by MTT assay and colony-forming assay. Cell cycle analysis, apoptosis activation and expression analysis of key autophagy markers under combined treatment was evaluated.Results. CQ and LY enhanced the cytotoxicity of TMZ and reduced colony formation in 3 melanoma cell lines, moreover both inhibitors increased cell population in G0 / G1 phase of cell cycle in Mel Z, Mel IL cell lines, but not in Mel MTP. CQ and LY synergistically activated apoptosis in all cell lines. The matrix RNA expression analysis of key autophagy genes showed autophagy involvement in enhanced cytotoxicity.Conclusions. Thus, autophagy inhibition on different stages of this process could overcome resistance to TMZ and be applicable as potent target in metastatic melanoma treatment.

Newcastle disease virus triggers autophagy in U251 glioma cells to enhance virus replication.

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Meng, Chunchun; Zhou, Zhizhi; Jiang, Ke; Yu, Shengqing; Jia, Lijun; Wu, Yantao; Liu, Yanqing; Meng, Songshu; Ding, Chan

2012-06-01

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can replicate in tumor cells and induce apoptosis in late stages of infection. However, the interaction between NDV and cells in early stages of infection is not well understood. Here, we report that, shortly after infection, NDV triggers the formation of autophagosomes in U251 glioma cells, as demonstrated by an increased number of double-membrane vesicles, GFP-microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (GFP-LC3) a dot formations, and elevated production of LC3II. Moreover, modulation of NDV-induced autophagy by rapamycin, chloroquine or small interfering RNAs targeting the genes critical for autophagosome formation (Atg5 and Beclin-1) affects virus production, indicating that autophagy may be utilized by NDV to facilitate its own production. Furthermore, the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Beclin-1 pathway plays a role in NDV-induced autophagy and virus production. Collectively, our data provide a unique example of a paramyxovirus that uses autophagy to enhance its production.

Autophagy in Negative-Strand RNA Virus Infection

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Yupeng Wang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is a homoeostatic process by which cytoplasmic material is targeted for degradation by the cell. Viruses have learned to manipulate the autophagic pathway to ensure their own replication and survival. Although much progress has been achieved in dissecting the interplay between viruses and cellular autophagic machinery, it is not well understood how the cellular autophagic pathway is utilized by viruses and manipulated to their own advantage. In this review, we briefly introduce autophagy, viral xenophagy and the interaction among autophagy, virus and immune response, then focus on the interplay between NS-RNA viruses and autophagy during virus infection. We have selected some exemplary NS-RNA viruses and will describe how these NS-RNA viruses regulate autophagy and the role of autophagy in NS-RNA viral replication and in immune responses to virus infection. We also review recent advances in understanding how NS-RNA viral proteins perturb autophagy and how autophagy-related proteins contribute to NS-RNA virus replication, pathogenesis and antiviral immunity.

Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Tax-Deregulated Autophagy Pathway and c-FLIP Expression Contribute to Resistance against Death Receptor-Mediated Apoptosis

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Wang, Weimin; Zhou, Jiansuo; Shi, Juan; Zhang, Yaxi; Liu, Shilian

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax protein is considered to play a central role in the process that leads to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). HTLV-1 Tax-expressing cells show resistance to apoptosis induced by Fas ligand (FasL) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). The regulation of Tax on the autophagy pathway in HeLa cells and peripheral T cells was recently reported, but the function and underlying molecular mechanism of the Tax-regulated autophagy are not yet well defined. Here, we report that HTLV-1 Tax deregulates the autophagy pathway, which plays a protective role during the death receptor (DR)-mediated apoptosis of human U251 astroglioma cells. The cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP), which is upregulated by Tax, also contributes to the resistance against DR-mediated apoptosis. Both Tax-induced autophagy and Tax-induced c-FLIP expression require Tax-induced activation of IκB kinases (IKK). Furthermore, Tax-induced c-FLIP expression is regulated through the Tax-IKK-NF-κB signaling pathway, whereas Tax-triggered autophagy depends on the activation of IKK but not the activation of NF-κB. In addition, DR-mediated apoptosis is correlated with the degradation of Tax, which can be facilitated by the inhibitors of autophagy. IMPORTANCE Our study reveals that Tax-deregulated autophagy is a protective mechanism for DR-mediated apoptosis. The molecular mechanism of Tax-induced autophagy is also illuminated, which is different from Tax-increased c-FLIP. Tax can be degraded via manipulation of autophagy and TRAIL-induced apoptosis. These results outline a complex regulatory network between and among apoptosis, autophagy, and Tax and also present evidence that autophagy represents a new possible target for therapeutic intervention for the HTVL-1 related diseases. PMID:24352466

The significance of autophagy in colorectal cancer pathogenesis and implications for therapy.

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Lai, K; Killingsworth, M C; Lee, C S

2014-10-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in developed countries with poor survival outcome in advanced stages of the disease due to its resistance to chemotherapy and other forms of treatment. New and alternative approaches are needed to overcome the tumour cells’ capacity for survival and to drive the tumour towards cell death. Autophagy is a mechanism involved in the elimination of damaged cellular components through lysosomal degradation and is capable of inducing programmed cell death. The process has recently gained much interest in understanding the pathogenesis of CRC and its potential for treatment of the disease due to its role in host protection and anticancer activity. This review describes and illustrates the fundamental mechanisms of autophagy, its importance as a prognostic marker and the current approaches to harness its protective and anticancer activity in CRC therapy.

Chemical Inhibition of Autophagy

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Baek, Eric; Lin Kim, Che; Gyeom Kim, Mi

2016-01-01

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells activate and undergo apoptosis and autophagy for various environmental stresses. Unlike apoptosis, studies on increasing the production of therapeutic proteins in CHO cells by targeting the autophagy pathway are limited. In order to identify the effects of chemical...... autophagy inhibitors on the specific productivity (qp), nine chemical inhibitors that had been reported to target three different phases of autophagy (metformin, dorsomorphin, resveratrol, and SP600125 against initiation and nucleation; 3-MA, wortmannin, and LY294002 against elongation, and chloroquine...... and bafilomycin A1 against autophagosome fusion) were used to treat three recombinant CHO (rCHO) cell lines: the Fc-fusion protein-producing DG44 (DG44-Fc) and DUKX-B11 (DUKX-Fc) and antibody-producing DG44 (DG44-Ab) cell lines. Among the nine chemical inhibitors tested, 3-MA, dorsomorphin, and SP600125...

The roles of autophagy and hypoxia in human inflammatory periapical lesions.

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Huang, H Y; Wang, W C; Lin, P Y; Huang, C P; Chen, C Y; Chen, Y K

2018-02-01

To determine the expressions of hypoxia-related [hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIF)-1α, BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa protein-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) and phospho-adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (pAMPK)] and autophagy-related [microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), beclin-1 (BECN-1), autophagy-related gene (Atg)5-12, and p62] proteins in human inflammatory periapical lesions. Fifteen samples of radicular cysts (RCs) and 21 periapical granulomas (PGs), combined with 17 healthy dental pulp tissues, were examined. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect interleukin (IL)-1β cytokine; immunohistochemical (IHC) and Western blot (WB) analyses were employed to examine autophagy-related and hypoxia-related proteins. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to explore the ultrastructural morphology of autophagy in periapical lesions. Nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used for statistical analyses. ELISA revealed a significantly higher (P periapical lesions than in normal pulp tissue. Immunoscores of IHC expressions of pAMPK, HIF-1α, BNIP3, BECN-1 and Atg5-12 proteins in periapical lesions were significantly higher (P periapical lesions were noted as compared to normal pulp tissue. Upon TEM, ultrastructural double-membrane autophagosomes and autolysosomes were observed in PGs and RCs. Autophagy associated with hypoxia may play a potential causative role in the development and maintenance of inflamed periapical lesions. © 2017 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

miR-26a suppresses autophagy in swine Sertoli cells by targeting ULK2.

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Ran, M; Li, Z; Cao, R; Weng, B; Peng, F; He, C; Chen, B

2018-05-14

A large number of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been detected from porcine testicular tissues thanks to the development of high-throughput sequencing technology. However, the regulatory roles of most identified miRNAs in swine testicular development or spermatogenesis are poorly understood. In our previous study, ULK2 (uncoordinated-51-like kinase 2) was predicted as a target gene of miR-26a. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-26a in swine Sertoli cell autophagy. The relative expression of miR-26a and ULK2 levels has a significant negative correlation (R 2  = .5964, p ≤ .01) in nine developmental stages of swine testicular tissue. Dual-luciferase reporter assay results show that miR-26a directly targets the 3'UTR of the ULK2 gene (position 618-624). In addition, both the mRNA and protein expression of ULK2 were downregulated by miR-26a in swine Sertoli cells. These results indicate that miR-26a targets the ULK2 gene and downregulates its expression in swine Sertoli cells. Based on the expression of marker genes (LC3, p62 and Beclin-1), overexpression of miR-26a or knock-down of ULK2 inhibits swine Sertoli cell autophagy. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that miR-26a suppresses autophagy in swine Sertoli cells by targeting ULK2. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Autophagy resolves early retinal inflammation in Igf1-deficient mice

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Ana I. Arroba

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1 is a growth factor with differentiating, anti-apoptotic and metabolic functions in the periphery, and anti-inflammatory properties in the nervous system. Mice that have mutations in the Igf1 gene, rendering the gene product inactive (Igf1−/−, present with age-related visual loss accompanied by structural alterations in the first synapses of the retinal pathway. Recent advances have revealed a crucial role of autophagy in immunity and inflammation. Keeping in mind this close relationship, we aimed to decipher these processes in the context of the defects that occur during ageing in the retina of Igf1−/− mice. Tnfa and Il1b mRNAs, and phosphorylation of JNK and p38 MAPK were elevated in the retinas of 6- and 12-month old Igf1−/− mice compared to those in age-matched Igf1+/+ controls. In 6-month-old Igf1−/− retinas, increased mRNA levels of the autophagy mediators Becn1, Atg9, Atg5 and Atg4, decreased p62 (also known as SQSTM1 protein expression together with an increased LC3-II:LC3-I ratio reflected active autophagic flux. However, in retinas from 12-month-old Igf1−/− mice, Nlrp3 mRNA, processing of the IL1β pro-form and immunostaining of active caspase-1 were elevated compared to those in age-matched Igf1+/+ controls, suggesting activation of the inflammasome. This effect concurred with accumulation of autophagosomes and decreased autophagic flux in the retina. Microglia localization and status of activation in the retinas of 12-month-old Igf1+/+ and Igf1−/− mice, analyzed by immunostaining of Cd11b and Iba-1, showed a specific distribution pattern in the outer plexiform layer (OPL, inner plexiform layer (IPL and inner nuclear layer (INL, and revealed an increased number of activated microglia cells in the retina of 12-month-old blind Igf1−/− mice. Moreover, reactive gliosis was exclusively detected in the retinas from 12-month-old blind Igf1−/− mice. In conclusion, this study

Autophagy participates in isoliquiritigenin-induced melanin degradation in human epidermal keratinocytes through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.

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Yang, Zhibo; Zeng, Biyun; Pan, Yi; Huang, Pan; Wang, Chang

2018-01-01

Melanin is the pigment responsible for the color of human skin and hair. Melanin serves as a double-edge sword which can exert both protective and spot-causing effects on skin. Although melanin has an important role in protecting the skin against UV damage, an excessive or uneven melanin production can lead to the formation of freckles and age spots. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) has been reported to inhibit melanin synthesis; however, its role in melanin degradation remains unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the detailed function of ISL in melanin degradation in human epidermal keratinocytes. Since autophagy has been reported to be related to melanin degradation, we also examined the activation of autophagy by ISL treatment in keratinocytes by measurement of autophagy-related proteins, ATG7, LC3 and p62. Moreover, si-ATG7-induced ATG7 knockdown and autophagy inhibitor 3-MA decreased LC3 II protein levels and increased PMEL17, p62 and melanin levels in HaCaT cells, which could be partially reversed by ISL treatment, indicating that autophagy participated in melanin degradation. The decreased p-AKT and p-mTOR proteins upon ISL treatment indicated the involvement of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in ISL-induced melanin degradation. Taken together, we demonstrated that autophagy participates in ISL-induced melanin degradation in human epidermal keratinocytes through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

The critical role of quercetin in autophagy and apoptosis in HeLa cells.

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Wang, Yijun; Zhang, Wei; Lv, Qiongying; Zhang, Juan; Zhu, Dingjun

2016-01-01

In recent years, the effects of quercetin on autophagy and apoptosis of cancer cells have been widely reported, while effects on HeLa cells are still unclear. Here, HeLa cells were subjected to quercetin treatment, and then proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy were evaluated using MTT, flow cytometry, and MDC staining, respectively. The LC3-I/II, Beclin 1, active caspase-3, and S6K1 phosphorylation were detected using Western blot assay. The ultrastructure of HeLa was observed via transmission electron microscope (TEM). Our findings showed that quercetin can dose-dependently inhibit the growth of HeLa cells. The MDC fluorescence was enhanced with increased concentration of quercetin and hit a plateau at 50 μmol/l. Western blot assay revealed that LC3-I/II ratio, Beclin 1, and active caspase-3 protein were enforced in a dose-dependent method. However, the phosphorylation of S6K1 gradually decreased, concomitant with an increase of autophagy. In addition, TEM revealed that the number of autophagic vacuoles was peaked at 50 μmol/l of quercetin. Besides, interference of autophagy with 3-MA led to proliferation inhibition and increased apoptosis in HeLa cells, accompanied by the decreased LC3-I/II conversion and the increased active caspase-3. In conclusion, quercetin can inhibit HeLa cell proliferation and induce protective autophagy at low concentrations; thus, 3-MA plus quercetin would suppress autophagy and effectively increased apoptosis.

Regulation of autophagy by cytoplasmic p53.

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Tasdemir, Ezgi; Maiuri, M Chiara; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Vitale, Ilio; Djavaheri-Mergny, Mojgan; D'Amelio, Marcello; Criollo, Alfredo; Morselli, Eugenia; Zhu, Changlian; Harper, Francis; Nannmark, Ulf; Samara, Chrysanthi; Pinton, Paolo; Vicencio, José Miguel; Carnuccio, Rosa; Moll, Ute M; Madeo, Frank; Paterlini-Brechot, Patrizia; Rizzuto, Rosario; Szabadkai, Gyorgy; Pierron, Gérard; Blomgren, Klas; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Codogno, Patrice; Cecconi, Francesco; Kroemer, Guido

2008-06-01

Multiple cellular stressors, including activation of the tumour suppressor p53, can stimulate autophagy. Here we show that deletion, depletion or inhibition of p53 can induce autophagy in human, mouse and nematode cells subjected to knockout, knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of p53. Enhanced autophagy improved the survival of p53-deficient cancer cells under conditions of hypoxia and nutrient depletion, allowing them to maintain high ATP levels. Inhibition of p53 led to autophagy in enucleated cells, and cytoplasmic, not nuclear, p53 was able to repress the enhanced autophagy of p53(-/-) cells. Many different inducers of autophagy (for example, starvation, rapamycin and toxins affecting the endoplasmic reticulum) stimulated proteasome-mediated degradation of p53 through a pathway relying on the E3 ubiquitin ligase HDM2. Inhibition of p53 degradation prevented the activation of autophagy in several cell lines, in response to several distinct stimuli. These results provide evidence of a key signalling pathway that links autophagy to the cancer-associated dysregulation of p53.

Unsaturated fatty acids protect trophoblast cells from saturated fatty acid-induced autophagy defects.

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Hong, Ye-Ji; Ahn, Hyo-Ju; Shin, Jongdae; Lee, Joon H; Kim, Jin-Hoi; Park, Hwan-Woo; Lee, Sung Ki

2018-02-01

Dysregulated serum fatty acids are associated with a lipotoxic placental environment, which contributes to increased pregnancy complications via altered trophoblast invasion. However, the role of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in trophoblastic autophagy has yet to be explored. Here, we demonstrated that prolonged exposure of saturated fatty acids interferes with the invasiveness of human extravillous trophoblasts. Saturated fatty acids (but not unsaturated fatty acids) inhibited the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes, resulting in the formation of intracellular protein aggregates. Furthermore, when the trophoblast cells were exposed to saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids counteracted the effects of saturated fatty acids by increasing degradation of autophagic vacuoles. Saturated fatty acids reduced the levels of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, while unsaturated fatty acids maintained their levels. In conclusion, saturated fatty acids induced decreased trophoblast invasion, of which autophagy dysfunction plays a major role. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does autophagy have a license to kill mammalian cells?

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Scarlatti, F; Granata, R; Meijer, A J; Codogno, P

2009-01-01

Macroautophagy is an evolutionarily conserved vacuolar, self-digesting mechanism for cellular components, which end up in the lysosomal compartment. In mammalian cells, macroautophagy is cytoprotective, and protects the cells against the accumulation of damaged organelles or protein aggregates, the loss of interaction with the extracellular matrix, and the toxicity of cancer therapies. During periods of nutrient starvation, stimulating macroautophagy provides the fuel required to maintain an active metabolism and the production of ATP. Macroautophagy can inhibit the induction of several forms of cell death, such as apoptosis and necrosis. However, it can also be part of the cascades of events that lead to cell death, either by collaborating with other cell death mechanisms or by causing cell death on its own. Loss of the regulation of bulk macroautophagy can prime self-destruction by cells, and some forms of selective autophagy and non-canonical forms of macroautophagy have been shown to be associated with cell demise. There is now mounting evidence that autophagy and apoptosis share several common regulatory elements that are crucial in any attempt to understand the dual role of autophagy in cell survival and cell death.

Shear Stress Induces Phenotypic Modulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells via AMPK/mTOR/ULK1-Mediated Autophagy.

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Sun, Liqian; Zhao, Manman; Liu, Aihua; Lv, Ming; Zhang, Jingbo; Li, Youxiang; Yang, Xinjian; Wu, Zhongxue

2018-03-01

Phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is involved in the pathophysiological processes of the intracranial aneurysms (IAs). Although shear stress has been implicated in the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic conversion of VSMCs, the molecular mechanisms underlying these events are currently unknown. In this study, we investigated whether shear stress(SS)-induced VSMC phenotypic modulation was mediated by autophagy involved in adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) pathway. The results show that shear stress could inhibit the expression of key VSMC contractile genes and induce pro-inflammatory/matrix-remodeling genes levels, contributing to VSMCs phenotypic switching from a contractile to a synthetic phenotype. More importantly, Shear stress also markedly increased the levels of the autophagy marker microtubule-associated protein light chain 3-II (LC3II), Beclin-1, and p62 degradation. The autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) significantly blocked shear-induced phenotypic modulation of VSMCs. To further explore the molecular mechanism involved in shear-induced autophagy, we found that shear stress could activate AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 signaling pathway in VSMCs. Compound C, a pharmacological inhibitor of AMPK, significantly reduced the levels of p-AMPK and p-ULK, enhanced p-mTOR level, and finally decreased LC3II and Beclin-1 level, which suggested that activated AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 signaling was related to shear-mediated autophagy. These results indicate that shear stress promotes VSMC phenotypic modulation through the induction of autophagy involved in activating the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway.

Caspase 1 activation is protective against hepatocyte cell death by up-regulating beclin 1 protein and mitochondrial autophagy in the setting of redox stress.

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Sun, Qian; Gao, Wentao; Loughran, Patricia; Shapiro, Rick; Fan, Jie; Billiar, Timothy R; Scott, Melanie J

2013-05-31

Caspase 1 activation can be induced by oxidative stress, which leads to the release of the proinflammatory cytokines IL1β and IL18 in myeloid cells and a potentially damaging inflammatory response. However, little is known about the role of caspase 1 in non-immune cells, such as hepatocytes, that express and activate the inflammasome but do not produce a significant amount of IL1β/IL18. Here we demonstrate that caspase 1 activation protects against cell death after redox stress induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation in hepatocytes. Mechanistically, we show that caspase 1 reduces mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species by increasing mitochondrial autophagy and subsequent clearance of mitochondria in hepatocytes after hypoxia/reoxygenation. Caspase 1 increases autophagic flux through up-regulating autophagy initiator beclin 1 during redox stress and is an important cell survival factor in hepatocytes. We find that during hemorrhagic shock with resuscitation, an in vivo mouse model associated with severe hepatic redox stress, caspase 1 activation is also protective against liver injury and excessive oxidative stress through the up-regulation of beclin 1. Our findings suggest an alternative role for caspase 1 activation in promoting adaptive responses to oxidative stress and, more specifically, in limiting reactive oxygen species production and damage in cells and tissues where IL1β/IL18 are not highly expressed.

Caspase 1 Activation Is Protective against Hepatocyte Cell Death by Up-regulating Beclin 1 Protein and Mitochondrial Autophagy in the Setting of Redox Stress*

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Sun, Qian; Gao, Wentao; Loughran, Patricia; Shapiro, Rick; Fan, Jie; Billiar, Timothy R.; Scott, Melanie J.

2013-01-01

Caspase 1 activation can be induced by oxidative stress, which leads to the release of the proinflammatory cytokines IL1β and IL18 in myeloid cells and a potentially damaging inflammatory response. However, little is known about the role of caspase 1 in non-immune cells, such as hepatocytes, that express and activate the inflammasome but do not produce a significant amount of IL1β/IL18. Here we demonstrate that caspase 1 activation protects against cell death after redox stress induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation in hepatocytes. Mechanistically, we show that caspase 1 reduces mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species by increasing mitochondrial autophagy and subsequent clearance of mitochondria in hepatocytes after hypoxia/reoxygenation. Caspase 1 increases autophagic flux through up-regulating autophagy initiator beclin 1 during redox stress and is an important cell survival factor in hepatocytes. We find that during hemorrhagic shock with resuscitation, an in vivo mouse model associated with severe hepatic redox stress, caspase 1 activation is also protective against liver injury and excessive oxidative stress through the up-regulation of beclin 1. Our findings suggest an alternative role for caspase 1 activation in promoting adaptive responses to oxidative stress and, more specifically, in limiting reactive oxygen species production and damage in cells and tissues where IL1β/IL18 are not highly expressed. PMID:23589298

Autophagy adaptor protein p62/SQSTM1 and autophagy-related gene Atg5 mediate autophagosome formation in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in dendritic cells.

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Shintaro Seto

Full Text Available Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen that can survive within phagocytic cells by inhibiting phagolysosome biogenesis. However, host cells can control the intracellular M. tuberculosis burden by the induction of autophagy. The mechanism of autophagosome formation to M. tuberculosis has been well studied in macrophages, but remains unclear in dendritic cells. We therefore characterized autophagosome formation in response to M. tuberculosis infection in dendritic cells. Autophagy marker protein LC3, autophagy adaptor protein p62/SQSTM1 (p62 and ubiquitin co-localized to M. tuberculosis in dendritic cells. Mycobacterial autophagosomes fused with lysosomes during infection, and major histcompatibility complex class II molecules (MHC II also localized to mycobacterial autophagosomes. The proteins p62 and Atg5 function in the initiation and progression of autophagosome formation to M. tuberculosis, respectively; p62 mediates ubiquitination of M. tuberculosis and Atg5 is involved in the trafficking of degradative vesicles and MHC II to mycobacterial autophagosomes. These results imply that the autophagosome formation to M. tuberculosis in dendritic cells promotes the antigen presentation of mycobacterial peptides to CD4(+ T lymphocytes via MHC II.

Rcan1-1L overexpression induces mitochondrial autophagy and improves cell survival in angiotensin II-exposed cardiomyocytes

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Duan, Hongyan; Li, Yongqiang; Yan, Lijie; Yang, Haitao; Wu, Jintao; Qian, Peng; Li, Bing; Wang, Shanling

2015-01-01

Mitochondrial autophagy is an important adaptive stress response and can be modulated by various key molecules. A previous study found that the regulator of calcineurin 1-1L (Rcan1-1L) may regulate mitochondrial autophagy and cause mitochondria degradation in neurocytes. However, the effect of Rcan1-1L on cardiomyocytes has not been determined. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of Rcan1-1L in angiotensin II (Ang II)-exposed human cardiomyocytes. Above all, Human adult cardiac myocytes (HACMs) were exposed to 200 nmol/L Ang II for 4 days. Enhanced H 2 O 2 production, cytochrome C release and mitochondrial permeability were observed in these cells, which were blocked by valsartan. Consistently, Ang II exposure significantly reduced cardiomyocyte viability. However, transfection of Rcan1-1L vector promoted cell viability and ameliorated the apoptosis caused by Ang II. Rcan1-1L clearly promoted mitochondrial autophagy in HACMs, with elevated autophagy protein (ATG) 5 and light chain 3 (LC3) expression. Transient mitochondrial biogenesis and reduced cytochrome C release was also induced by Rcan1-1L. Additionally, Rcan1-1L significantly inhibited calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) signaling. We thus conclude that Rcan1-1L may play a protective role in Ang II-treated cardiomyocytes through the induction of mitochondrial autophagy, and may be an alternative method of cardiac protection. - Highlights: • Transfection of Rcan1-1L into HACMs promoted cell viability and reduced apoptosis. • Transfection of Rcan1-1L promoted mitochondrial autophagy in HACMs. • Rcan1-1L inhibited the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells signaling

Rcan1-1L overexpression induces mitochondrial autophagy and improves cell survival in angiotensin II-exposed cardiomyocytes

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Duan, Hongyan; Li, Yongqiang; Yan, Lijie; Yang, Haitao; Wu, Jintao; Qian, Peng; Li, Bing; Wang, Shanling, E-mail: shanglingwang@126.com

2015-07-01

Mitochondrial autophagy is an important adaptive stress response and can be modulated by various key molecules. A previous study found that the regulator of calcineurin 1-1L (Rcan1-1L) may regulate mitochondrial autophagy and cause mitochondria degradation in neurocytes. However, the effect of Rcan1-1L on cardiomyocytes has not been determined. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of Rcan1-1L in angiotensin II (Ang II)-exposed human cardiomyocytes. Above all, Human adult cardiac myocytes (HACMs) were exposed to 200 nmol/L Ang II for 4 days. Enhanced H{sub 2}O{sub 2} production, cytochrome C release and mitochondrial permeability were observed in these cells, which were blocked by valsartan. Consistently, Ang II exposure significantly reduced cardiomyocyte viability. However, transfection of Rcan1-1L vector promoted cell viability and ameliorated the apoptosis caused by Ang II. Rcan1-1L clearly promoted mitochondrial autophagy in HACMs, with elevated autophagy protein (ATG) 5 and light chain 3 (LC3) expression. Transient mitochondrial biogenesis and reduced cytochrome C release was also induced by Rcan1-1L. Additionally, Rcan1-1L significantly inhibited calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) signaling. We thus conclude that Rcan1-1L may play a protective role in Ang II-treated cardiomyocytes through the induction of mitochondrial autophagy, and may be an alternative method of cardiac protection. - Highlights: • Transfection of Rcan1-1L into HACMs promoted cell viability and reduced apoptosis. • Transfection of Rcan1-1L promoted mitochondrial autophagy in HACMs. • Rcan1-1L inhibited the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells signaling.

Proteomics Insights into Autophagy.

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Cudjoe, Emmanuel K; Saleh, Tareq; Hawkridge, Adam M; Gewirtz, David A

2017-10-01

Autophagy, a conserved cellular process by which cells recycle their contents either to maintain basal homeostasis or in response to external stimuli, has for the past two decades become one of the most studied physiological processes in cell biology. The 2016 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Biology awarded to Dr. Ohsumi Yoshinori, one of the first scientists to characterize this cellular mechanism, attests to its importance. The induction and consequent completion of the process of autophagy results in wide ranging changes to the cellular proteome as well as the secretome. MS-based proteomics affords the ability to measure, in an unbiased manner, the ubiquitous changes that occur when autophagy is initiated and progresses in the cell. The continuous improvements and advances in mass spectrometers, especially relating to ionization sources and detectors, coupled with advances in proteomics experimental design, has made it possible to study autophagy, among other process, in great detail. Innovative labeling strategies and protein separation techniques as well as complementary methods including immuno-capture/blotting/staining have been used in proteomics studies to provide more specific protein identification. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in proteomics studies focused on autophagy. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Proteasome inhibitors activate autophagy involving inhibition of PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway as an anti-oxidation defense in human RPE cells.

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Bingrong Tang

Full Text Available The two major intracellular protein degradation systems, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS and autophagy, work collaboratively in many biological processes including development, apoptosis, aging, and countering oxidative injuries. We report here that, in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE, ARPE-19 cells, proteasome inhibitors, clasto-lactacystinβ-lactone (LA or epoxomicin (Epo, at non-lethal doses, increased the protein levels of autophagy-specific genes Atg5 and Atg7 and enhanced the conversion of microtubule-associated protein light chain (LC3 from LC3-I to its lipidative form, LC3-II, which was enhanced by co-addition of the saturated concentration of Bafilomycin A1 (Baf. Detection of co-localization for LC3 staining and labeled-lysosome further confirmed autophagic flux induced by LA or Epo. LA or Epo reduced the phosphorylation of the protein kinase B (Akt, a downstream target of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3K, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR in ARPE-19 cells; by contrast, the induced changes of autophagy substrate, p62, showed biphasic pattern. The autophagy inhibitor, Baf, attenuated the reduction in oxidative injury conferred by treatment with low doses of LA and Epo in ARPE-19 cells exposed to menadione (VK3 or 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE. Knockdown of Atg7 with siRNA in ARPE-19 cells reduced the protective effects of LA or Epo against VK3. Overall, our results suggest that treatment with low levels of proteasome inhibitors confers resistance to oxidative injury by a pathway involving inhibition of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway and activation of autophagy.

Autophagy in muscle of glucose-infusion hyperglycemia rats and streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia rats via selective activation of m-TOR or FoxO3.

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Pengfei Lv

Full Text Available Autophagy is a conserved process in eukaryotes required for metabolism and is involved in diverse diseases. To investigate autophagy in skeletal muscle under hyperglycemia status, we established two hyperglycemia-rat models that differ in their circulating insulin levels, by glucose infusion and singe high-dose streptozotocin injection. We then detected expression of autophagy related genes with real-time PCR and western blot. We found that under hyperglycemia status induced by glucose-infusion, autophagy was inhibited in rat skeletal muscle, whereas under streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia status autophagy was enhanced. Meanwhile, hyperglycemic gastrocnemius muscle was more prone to autophagy than soleus muscle. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy in skeletal muscle in glucose-infusion hyperglycemia rats was mediated by the m-TOR pathway while m-TOR and FoxO3 both contributed to enhancement of autophagy in gastrocnemius muscle in streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia rats. These data shows that insulin plays a relatively more important role than hyperglycemia in regulating autophagy in hyperglycemia rat muscle through selectively activating the m-TOR or FoxO3 pathway in a fiber-selective manner.

Autophagy, lipophagy and lysosomal lipid storage disorders.

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Ward, Carl; Martinez-Lopez, Nuria; Otten, Elsje G; Carroll, Bernadette; Maetzel, Dorothea; Singh, Rajat; Sarkar, Sovan; Korolchuk, Viktor I

2016-04-01

Autophagy is a catabolic process with an essential function in the maintenance of cellular and tissue homeostasis. It is primarily recognised for its role in the degradation of dysfunctional proteins and unwanted organelles, however in recent years the range of autophagy substrates has also been extended to lipids. Degradation of lipids via autophagy is termed lipophagy. The ability of autophagy to contribute to the maintenance of lipo-homeostasis becomes particularly relevant in the context of genetic lysosomal storage disorders where perturbations of autophagic flux have been suggested to contribute to the disease aetiology. Here we review recent discoveries of the molecular mechanisms mediating lipid turnover by the autophagy pathways. We further focus on the relevance of autophagy, and specifically lipophagy, to the disease mechanisms. Moreover, autophagy is also discussed as a potential therapeutic target in several key lysosomal storage disorders. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intersection of autophagy with pathways of antigen presentation.

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Patterson, Natalie L; Mintern, Justine D

2012-12-01

Traditionally, macroautophagy (autophagy) is viewed as a pathway of cell survival. Autophagy ensures the elimination of damaged or unwanted cytosolic components and provides a source of cellular nutrients during periods of stress. Interestingly, autophagy can also directly intersect with, and impact, other major pathways of cellular function. Here, we will review the contribution of autophagy to pathways of antigen presentation. The autophagy machinery acts to modulate both MHCI and MHCII antigen presentation. As such autophagy is an important participant in pathways that elicit host cell immunity and the elimination of infectious pathogens.

Autophagy-dependent secretion: contribution to tumor progression

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Tom Keulers

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is best known as a lysosomal degradation and recycling pathway to maintain cellular homeostasis. During autophagy, cytoplasmic content is recognized and packed in autophagic vacuoles, or autophagosomes, and targeted for degradation. However, during the last years, it has become evident that the role of autophagy is not restricted to degradation alone but also mediates unconventional forms of secretion. Furthermore, cells with defects in autophagy apparently are able to reroute their cargo, like mitochondria, to the extracellular environment; effects that contribute to an array of pathologies. In this review we discuss the current knowledge of the physiological roles of autophagy-dependent secretion, i.e. the effect on inflammation and insulin/ hormone secretion. Finally, we focus on the effects of autophagy-dependent secretion on the tumour microenvironment and tumour progression. The autophagy mediated secreted factors may stimulate cellular proliferation via auto- and paracrine signaling. The autophagy mediated release of immune modulating proteins change the immunosuppresive tumor microenvironment and may promote an invasive phenotype. These effects may be either direct or indirect through facilitating formation of the mobilized vesicle, aid in anterograde trafficking or alterations in homeostasis and/or autonomous cell signaling.

Ribosomal protein mutations induce autophagy through S6 kinase inhibition of the insulin pathway.

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Harry F Heijnen

Full Text Available Mutations affecting the ribosome lead to several diseases known as ribosomopathies, with phenotypes that include growth defects, cytopenia, and bone marrow failure. Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA, for example, is a pure red cell aplasia linked to the mutation of ribosomal protein (RP genes. Here we show the knock-down of the DBA-linked RPS19 gene induces the cellular self-digestion process of autophagy, a pathway critical for proper hematopoiesis. We also observe an increase of autophagy in cells derived from DBA patients, in CD34+ erythrocyte progenitor cells with RPS19 knock down, in the red blood cells of zebrafish embryos with RP-deficiency, and in cells from patients with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS. The loss of RPs in all these models results in a marked increase in S6 kinase phosphorylation that we find is triggered by an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS. We show that this increase in S6 kinase phosphorylation inhibits the insulin pathway and AKT phosphorylation activity through a mechanism reminiscent of insulin resistance. While stimulating RP-deficient cells with insulin reduces autophagy, antioxidant treatment reduces S6 kinase phosphorylation, autophagy, and stabilization of the p53 tumor suppressor. Our data suggest that RP loss promotes the aberrant activation of both S6 kinase and p53 by increasing intracellular ROS levels. The deregulation of these signaling pathways is likely playing a major role in the pathophysiology of ribosomopathies.

Dopamine Oxidation and Autophagy

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Patricia Muñoz

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The molecular mechanisms involved in the neurodegenerative process of Parkinson's disease remain unclear. Currently, there is a general agreement that mitochondrial dysfunction, α-synuclein aggregation, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and impaired protein degradation are involved in the neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons containing neuromelanin in Parkinson's disease. Aminochrome has been proposed to play an essential role in the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons containing neuromelanin by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, the formation of neurotoxic α-synuclein protofibrils, and impaired protein degradation. Here, we discuss the relationship between the oxidation of dopamine to aminochrome, the precursor of neuromelanin, autophagy dysfunction in dopaminergic neurons containing neuromelanin, and the role of dopamine oxidation to aminochrome in autophagy dysfunction in dopaminergic neurons. Aminochrome induces the following: (i the formation of α-synuclein protofibrils that inactivate chaperone-mediated autophagy; (ii the formation of adducts with α- and β-tubulin, which induce the aggregation of the microtubules required for the fusion of autophagy vacuoles and lysosomes.

The intersection between growth factors, autophagy and ER stress: A new target to treat neurodegenerative diseases?

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Garcia-Huerta, Paula; Troncoso-Escudero, Paulina; Jerez, Carolina; Hetz, Claudio; Vidal, Rene L

2016-10-15

One of the salient features of most neurodegenerative diseases is the aggregation of specific proteins in the brain. This proteostasis imbalance is proposed as a key event triggering the neurodegenerative cascade. The unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy pathways are emerging as critical processes implicated in handling disease-related misfolded proteins. However, in some conditions, perturbations in the buffering capacity of the proteostasis network may be part of the etiology of the disease. Thus, pharmacological or gene therapy strategies to enhance autophagy or UPR responses are becoming an attractive target for disease intervention. Here, we discuss current evidence depicting the complex involvement of autophagy and ER stress in brain diseases. Novel pathways to modulate protein misfolding are discussed including the relation between aging and growth factor signaling. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI:Autophagy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of autophagy initiation potentiates chemosensitivity in mesothelioma.

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Follo, Carlo; Cheng, Yao; Richards, William G; Bueno, Raphael; Broaddus, Virginia Courtney

2018-03-01

The benefits of inhibiting autophagy in cancer are still controversial, with differences in outcome based on the type of tumor, the context and the particular stage of inhibition. Here, we investigated the impact of inhibiting autophagy at different stages on chemosensitivity using 3-dimensional (3D) models of mesothelioma, including ex vivo human tumor fragment spheroids. As shown by LC3B accumulation, we successfully inhibited autophagy using either an early stage ULK1/2 inhibitor (MRT 68921) or a late stage inhibitor (hydroxychloroquine). We found that inhibition of autophagy at the early stage, but not at late stage, potentiated chemosensitivity. This effect was seen only in those spheroids with high autophagy and active initiation at steady state. Inhibition of autophagy alone, at either early or late stage, did not cause cell death, showing that the inhibitors were non-toxic and that mesothelioma did not depend on autophagy at baseline, at least over 24 h. Using ATG13 puncta analysis, we found that autophagy initiation identified tumors that are more chemosensitive at baseline and after autophagy inhibition. Our results highlight a potential role of autophagy initiation in supporting mesothelioma cells during chemotherapy. Our work also highlights the importance of testing the inhibition of different stages in order to uncover the role of autophagy and the potential of its modulation in the treatment of cancer. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neem oil limonoids induces p53-independent apoptosis and autophagy.

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Srivastava, Pragya; Yadav, Neelu; Lella, Ravi; Schneider, Andrea; Jones, Anthony; Marlowe, Timothy; Lovett, Gabrielle; O'Loughlin, Kieran; Minderman, Hans; Gogada, Raghu; Chandra, Dhyan

2012-11-01

Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, has a wide range of medicinal properties. Neem extracts and its purified products have been examined for induction of apoptosis in multiple cancer cell types; however, its underlying mechanisms remain undefined. We show that neem oil (i.e., neem), which contains majority of neem limonoids including azadirachtin, induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death. Gene silencing demonstrated that caspase cascade was initiated by the activation of caspase-9, whereas caspase-8 was also activated late during neem-induced apoptosis. Pretreatment of cancer cells with pan caspase inhibitor, z-VAD inhibited activities of both initiator caspases (e.g., caspase-8 and -9) and executioner caspase-3. Neem induced the release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria, suggesting the involvement of both caspase-dependent and AIF-mediated apoptosis. p21 deficiency caused an increase in caspase activities at lower doses of neem, whereas p53 deficiency did not modulate neem-induced caspase activation. Additionally, neem treatment resulted in the accumulation of LC3-II in cancer cells, suggesting the involvement of autophagy in neem-induced cancer cell death. Low doses of autophagy inhibitors (i.e., 3-methyladenine and LY294002) did not prevent accumulation of neem-induced LC3-II in cancer cells. Silencing of ATG5 or Beclin-1 further enhanced neem-induced cell death. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or autophagy inhibitors increased neem-induced caspase-3 activation and inhibition of caspases enhanced neem-induced autophagy. Together, for the first time, we demonstrate that neem induces caspase-dependent and AIF-mediated apoptosis, and autophagy in cancer cells.

Neem oil limonoids induces p53-independent apoptosis and autophagy

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Chandra, Dhyan

2012-01-01

Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, has a wide range of medicinal properties. Neem extracts and its purified products have been examined for induction of apoptosis in multiple cancer cell types; however, its underlying mechanisms remain undefined. We show that neem oil (i.e., neem), which contains majority of neem limonoids including azadirachtin, induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death. Gene silencing demonstrated that caspase cascade was initiated by the activation of caspase-9, whereas caspase-8 was also activated late during neem-induced apoptosis. Pretreatment of cancer cells with pan caspase inhibitor, z-VAD inhibited activities of both initiator caspases (e.g., caspase-8 and -9) and executioner caspase-3. Neem induced the release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria, suggesting the involvement of both caspase-dependent and AIF-mediated apoptosis. p21 deficiency caused an increase in caspase activities at lower doses of neem, whereas p53 deficiency did not modulate neem-induced caspase activation. Additionally, neem treatment resulted in the accumulation of LC3-II in cancer cells, suggesting the involvement of autophagy in neem-induced cancer cell death. Low doses of autophagy inhibitors (i.e., 3-methyladenine and LY294002) did not prevent accumulation of neem-induced LC3-II in cancer cells. Silencing of ATG5 or Beclin-1 further enhanced neem-induced cell death. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or autophagy inhibitors increased neem-induced caspase-3 activation and inhibition of caspases enhanced neem-induced autophagy. Together, for the first time, we demonstrate that neem induces caspase-dependent and AIF-mediated apoptosis, and autophagy in cancer cells. PMID:22915764

Osteoporosis and autophagy: What is the relationship?

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Rinaldo Florencio-Silva

Full Text Available Summary Autophagy is a survival pathway wherein non-functional proteins and organelles are degraded in lysosomes for recycling and energy production. Therefore, autophagy is fundamental for the maintenance of cell viability, acting as a quality control process that prevents the accumulation of unnecessary structures and oxidative stress. Increasing evidence has shown that autophagy dysfunction is related to several pathologies including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Moreover, recent studies have shown that autophagy plays an important role for the maintenance of bone homeostasis. For instance, in vitro and animal and human studies indicate that autophagy dysfunction in bone cells is associated with the onset of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. This review had the purpose of discussing the issue to confirm whether a relationship between autophagy dysfunction and osteoporosis exits.

Elucidating the composition and conservation of the autophagy pathway in photosynthetic eukaryotes

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Shemi, Adva; Ben-Dor, Shifra; Vardi, Assaf

2015-01-01

Aquatic photosynthetic eukaryotes represent highly diverse groups (green, red, and chromalveolate algae) derived from multiple endosymbiosis events, covering a wide spectrum of the tree of life. They are responsible for about 50% of the global photosynthesis and serve as the foundation for oceanic and fresh water food webs. Although the ecophysiology and molecular ecology of some algal species are extensively studied, some basic aspects of algal cell biology are still underexplored. The recent wealth of genomic resources from algae has opened new frontiers to decipher the role of cell signaling pathways and their function in an ecological and biotechnological context. Here, we took a bioinformatic approach to explore the distribution and conservation of TOR and autophagy-related (ATG) proteins (Atg in yeast) in diverse algal groups. Our genomic analysis demonstrates conservation of TOR and ATG proteins in green algae. In contrast, in all 5 available red algal genomes, we could not detect the sequences that encode for any of the 17 core ATG proteins examined, albeit TOR and its interacting proteins are conserved. This intriguing data suggests that the autophagy pathway is not conserved in red algae as it is in the entire eukaryote domain. In contrast, chromalveolates, despite being derived from the red-plastid lineage, retain and express ATG genes, which raises a fundamental question regarding the acquisition of ATG genes during algal evolution. Among chromalveolates, Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophyta), a bloom-forming coccolithophore, possesses the most complete set of ATG genes, and may serve as a model organism to study autophagy in marine protists with great ecological significance. PMID:25915714

Protective Effect of Astaxanthin on Liver Fibrosis through Modulation of TGF-β1 Expression and Autophagy

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Miao Shen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Liver fibrosis is a common pathway leading to cirrhosis and a worldwide clinical issue. Astaxanthin is a red carotenoid pigment with antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of astaxanthin on liver fibrosis and its potential protective mechanisms. Liver fibrosis was induced in a mouse model using CCL4 (intraperitoneal injection, three times a week for 8 weeks, and astaxanthin was administered everyday at three doses (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg. Pathological results indicated that astaxanthin significantly improved the pathological lesions of liver fibrosis. The levels of alanine aminotransferase aspartate aminotransferase and hydroxyproline were also significantly decreased by astaxanthin. The same results were confirmed in bile duct liagtion, (BDL model. In addition, astaxanthin inhibited hepatic stellate cells (HSCs activation and formation of extracellular matrix (ECM by decreasing the expression of NF-κB and TGF-β1 and maintaining the balance between MMP2 and TIMP1. In addition, astaxanthin reduced energy production in HSCs by downregulating the level of autophagy. These results were simultaneously confirmed in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, our study showed that 80 mg/kg astaxanthin had a significant protective effect on liver fibrosis by suppressing multiple profibrogenic factors.

ω-3 Fatty acids reverse lipotoxity through induction of autophagy in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

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Chen, Yi; Xu, Chengfu; Yan, Tianlian; Yu, Chaohui; Li, Youming

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ω-3 fatty acids on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease concerning hepatocyte lipid accumulation as well as apoptosis induced by free fatty acids (FFAs) and to explore the underlying mechanism involving autophagy. Hepatocytes were incubated with a mixture of free fatty acids (FFAs) to mimic in vitro lipotoxicity in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, presented by lipid accumulation and cellular apoptosis. Chemical inhibitor or inducer of autophagy and genetic deficit cells, as well as ω-3 fatty acids were used as intervention. The autophagic role of ω-3 fatty acids was investigated using Western blot and immunofluorescence. The underlying mechanism of ω-3 fatty acids involving autophagy was preliminarily explored by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. FFAs induce lipid accumulation and apoptosis in hepatocytes. Inhibition or genetic defect of autophagy increases lipid accumulation induced by FFA, whereas induction acts inversely. ω-3 Fatty acids reduced lipid accumulation and inhibited apoptosis induced by FFA. ω-3 Fatty acids induced autophagy by downregulating stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 expression in hepatocytes. ω-3 Fatty acids exert protective effects on hepatocytes against lipotoxicity through induction of autophagy, as demonstrated by inhibition of lipid accumulation and apoptosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Autophagy Deficiency Compromises Alternative Pathways of Respiration following Energy Deprivation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

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Barros, Jessica A S; Cavalcanti, João Henrique F; Medeiros, David B; Nunes-Nesi, Adriano; Avin-Wittenberg, Tamar; Fernie, Alisdair R; Araújo, Wagner L

2017-09-01

Under heterotrophic conditions, carbohydrate oxidation inside the mitochondrion is the primary energy source for cellular metabolism. However, during energy-limited conditions, alternative substrates are required to support respiration. Amino acid oxidation in plant cells plays a key role in this by generating electrons that can be transferred to the mitochondrial electron transport chain via the electron transfer flavoprotein/ubiquinone oxidoreductase system. Autophagy, a catabolic mechanism for macromolecule and protein recycling, allows the maintenance of amino acid pools and nutrient remobilization. Although the association between autophagy and alternative respiratory substrates has been suggested, the extent to which autophagy and primary metabolism interact to support plant respiration remains unclear. To investigate the metabolic importance of autophagy during development and under extended darkness, Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) mutants with disruption of autophagy ( atg mutants) were used. Under normal growth conditions, atg mutants showed lower growth and seed production with no impact on photosynthesis. Following extended darkness, atg mutants were characterized by signatures of early senescence, including decreased chlorophyll content and maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II coupled with increases in dark respiration. Transcript levels of genes involved in alternative pathways of respiration and amino acid catabolism were up-regulated in atg mutants. The metabolite profiles of dark-treated leaves revealed an extensive metabolic reprogramming in which increases in amino acid levels were partially compromised in atg mutants. Although an enhanced respiration in atg mutants was observed during extended darkness, autophagy deficiency compromises protein degradation and the generation of amino acids used as alternative substrates to the respiration. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

MicroRNA-125a Inhibits Autophagy Activation and Antimicrobial Responses during Mycobacterial Infection.

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Kim, Jin Kyung; Yuk, Jae-Min; Kim, Soo Yeon; Kim, Tae Sung; Jin, Hyo Sun; Yang, Chul-Su; Jo, Eun-Kyeong

2015-06-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding nucleotides that play critical roles in the regulation of diverse biological functions, including the response of host immune cells. Autophagy plays a key role in activating the antimicrobial host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although the pathways associated with autophagy must be tightly regulated at a posttranscriptional level, the contribution of miRNAs and whether they specifically influence the activation of macrophage autophagy during M. tuberculosis infection are largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that M. tuberculosis infection of macrophages leads to increased expression of miRNA-125a-3p (miR-125a), which targets UV radiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG), to inhibit autophagy activation and antimicrobial responses to M. tuberculosis. Forced expression of miR-125a significantly blocked M. tuberculosis-induced activation of autophagy and phagosomal maturation in macrophages, and inhibitors of miR-125a counteracted these effects. Both TLR2 and MyD88 were required for biogenesis of miR-125a during M. tuberculosis infection. Notably, activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase significantly inhibited the expression of miR-125a in M. tuberculosis-infected macrophages. Moreover, either overexpression of miR-125a or silencing of UVRAG significantly attenuated the antimicrobial effects of macrophages against M. tuberculosis. Taken together, these data indicate that miR-125a regulates the innate host defense by inhibiting the activation of autophagy and antimicrobial effects against M. tuberculosis through targeting UVRAG. Copyright © 2015 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Regulation of cardiomyocyte autophagy by calcium.

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Shaikh, Soni; Troncoso, Rodrigo; Criollo, Alfredo; Bravo-Sagua, Roberto; García, Lorena; Morselli, Eugenia; Cifuentes, Mariana; Quest, Andrew F G; Hill, Joseph A; Lavandero, Sergio

2016-04-15

Calcium signaling plays a crucial role in a multitude of events within the cardiomyocyte, including cell cycle control, growth, apoptosis, and autophagy. With respect to calcium-dependent regulation of autophagy, ion channels and exchangers, receptors, and intracellular mediators play fundamental roles. In this review, we discuss calcium-dependent regulation of cardiomyocyte autophagy, a lysosomal mechanism that is often cytoprotective, serving to defend against disease-related stress and nutrient insufficiency. We also highlight the importance of the subcellular distribution of calcium and related proteins, interorganelle communication, and other key signaling events that govern cardiomyocyte autophagy. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Approaches for Studying Autophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Yanfang Chen

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy is an intracellular degradative process, well conserved among eukaryotes. By engulfing cytoplasmic constituents into the autophagosome for degradation, this process is involved in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Autophagy induction triggers the formation of a cup-shaped double membrane structure, the phagophore, which progressively elongates and encloses materials to be removed. This double membrane vesicle, which is called an autophagosome, fuses with lysosome and forms the autolysosome. The inner membrane of the autophagosome, along with engulfed compounds, are degraded by lysosomal enzymes, which enables the recycling of carbohydrates, amino acids, nucleotides, and lipids. In response to various factors, autophagy can be induced for non-selective degradation of bulk cytoplasm. Autophagy is also able to selectively target cargoes and organelles such as mitochondria or peroxisome, functioning as a quality control system. The modification of autophagy flux is involved in developmental processes such as resistance to stress conditions, aging, cell death, and multiple pathologies. So, the use of animal models is essential for understanding these processes in the context of different cell types throughout the entire lifespan. For almost 15 years, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful model to analyze autophagy in physiological or pathological contexts. This review presents a rapid overview of physiological processes involving autophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans, the different assays used to monitor autophagy, their drawbacks, and specific tools for the analyses of selective autophagy.

Anti- and pro-tumor functions of autophagy.

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Morselli, Eugenia; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Kepp, Oliver; Vicencio, José-Miguel; Criollo, Alfredo; Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Kroemer, Guido

2009-09-01

Autophagy constitutes one of the major responses to stress in eukaryotic cells, and is regulated by a complex network of signaling cascades. Not surprisingly, autophagy is implicated in multiple pathological processes, including infection by pathogens, inflammatory bowel disease, neurodegeneration and cancer. Both oncogenesis and tumor survival are influenced by perturbations of the molecular machinery that controls autophagy. Numerous oncoproteins, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Akt1 and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family suppress autophagy. Conversely, several tumor suppressor proteins (e.g., Atg4c; beclin 1; Bif-1; BH3-only proteins; death-associated protein kinase 1; LKB1/STK11; PTEN; UVRAG) promote the autophagic pathway. This does not entirely apply to p53, one of the most important tumor suppressor proteins, which regulates autophagy in an ambiguous fashion, depending on its subcellular localization. Irrespective of the controversial role of p53, basal levels of autophagy appear to inhibit tumor development. On the contrary, chemotherapy- and metabolic stress-induced activation of the autophagic pathway reportedly contribute to the survival of formed tumors, thereby favoring resistance. In this context, autophagy inhibition would represent a major therapeutic target for chemosensitization. Here, we will review the current knowledge on the dual role of autophagy as an anti- and pro-tumor mechanism.

Uvrag targeting by Mir125a and Mir351 modulates autophagy associated with Ewsr1 deficiency.

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Kim, Yunha; Kang, Young-Sook; Lee, Na-Young; Kim, Ki Yoon; Hwang, Yu Jin; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Rhyu, Im Joo; Her, Song; Jung, Min-Kyung; Kim, Sun; Lee, Chai-Jin; Ko, Seyoon; Kowall, Neil W; Lee, Sean Bong; Lee, Junghee; Ryu, Hoon

2015-01-01

The EWSR1 (EWS RNA-binding protein 1/Ewing Sarcoma Break Point Region 1) gene encodes a RNA/DNA binding protein that is ubiquitously expressed and involved in various cellular processes. EWSR1 deficiency leads to impairment of development and accelerated senescence but the mechanism is not known. Herein, we found that EWSR1 modulates the Uvrag (UV radiation resistance associated) gene at the post-transcription level. Interestingly, EWSR1 deficiency led to the activation of the DROSHA-mediated microprocessor complex and increased the level of Mir125a and Mir351, which directly target Uvrag. Moreover, the Mir125a- and Mir351-mediated reduction of Uvrag was associated with the inhibition of autophagy that was confirmed in ewsr1 knockout (KO) MEFs and ewsr1 KO mice. Taken together, our data indicate that EWSR1 is involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of Uvrag via a miRNA-dependent pathway, resulting in the deregulation of autophagy inhibition. The mechanism of Uvrag and autophagy regulation by EWSR1 provides new insights into the role of EWSR1 deficiency-related cellular dysfunction.

Enhancement of Autophagy by Simvastatin through Inhibition of Rac1-mTOR Signaling Pathway in Coronary Arterial Myocytes

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Yu-Miao Wei

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: In addition to their action of lowering blood cholesterol levels, statins modulate biological characteristics and functions of arterial myocytes such as viability, proliferation, apoptosis, survival and contraction. The present study tested whether simvastatin, as a prototype statin, enhances autophagy in coronary arterial myocytes (CAMs to thereby exert their beneficial effects in atherosclerosis. Methods and Results: Using flow cytometry, we demonstrated that simvastatin significantly increased the autophagsome formation in CAMs. Western blot analysis confirmed that simvastatin significantly increased protein expression of typical autophagy markers LC3B and Beclin1 in these CAMs. Confocal microscopy further demonstrated that simvastatin increased fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes, which was blocked by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or silencing of Atg7 genes. Simvastatin reduced mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR activity, which was reversed by Rac1-GTPase overexpression and the mTOR agonist phosphatidic acid. Moreover, both Rac1-GTPase overexpression and activation of mTOR by phosphatidic acid drastically blocked simvastatin-induced autophagosome formation in CAMs. Interestingly, simvastatin increased protein expression of a contractile phenotype marker calponin in CAMs, which was blocked by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Simvastatin markedly reduced proliferation of CAMs under both control and proatherogenic stimulation. However, this inhibitory effect of simvastatin on CAM proliferation was blocked by by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or silencing of Atg7 genes. Lastly, animal experiments demonstrated that simvastatin increased protein expression of LC3B and calponin in mouse coronary arteries. Conclusion: Our results indicate that simvastatin inhibits the Rac1-mTOR pathway and thereby increases autophagy in CAMs which may stabilize CAMs in the contractile phenotype to prevent proliferation and growth

Cardiac-specific catalase overexpression rescues anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction: role of oxidative stress and autophagy.

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Kandadi, Machender R; Yu, Xuejun; Frankel, Arthur E; Ren, Jun

2012-11-07

Lethal and edema toxins secreted by Bacillus anthracis during anthrax infection were found to incite serious cardiovascular complications. However, the underlying mechanisms in anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiac anomalies remain unknown. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of antioxidant enzyme catalase in anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction. Wild type (WT) and cardiac-specific catalase overexpression mice were challenged with lethal toxin (2 μg/g, intraperotineally (i.p.)). Cardiomyocyte contractile and intracellular Ca(2+) properties were assessed 18 h later using an IonOptix edge-detection system. Proteasome function was assessed using chymotrypsin-like and caspase-like activities. GFP-LC3 puncta and Western blot analysis were used to evaluate autophagy and protein ubiquitination. Lethal toxin exposure suppressed cardiomyocyte contractile function (suppressed peak shortening, maximal velocity of shortening/re-lengthening, prolonged duration of shortening/re-lengthening, and impaired intracellular Ca(2+) handling), the effects of which were alleviated by catalase. In addition, lethal toxin triggered autophagy, mitochondrial and ubiquitin-proteasome defects, the effects of which were mitigated by catalase. Pretreatment of cardiomyocytes from catalase mice with the autophagy inducer rapamycin significantly attenuated or ablated catalase-offered protection against lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte dysfunction. On the other hand, the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA ablated or significantly attenuated lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile anomalies. Our results suggest that catalase is protective against anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile and intracellular Ca(2+) anomalies, possibly through regulation of autophagy and mitochondrial function.

Sonic Hedgehog in cancer stem cells: a novel link with autophagy

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Luis A Milla

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Sonic Hegdehog/GLI (SHH/GLI pathway has been extensively studied for its role in developmental and cancer biology. During early embryonic development the SHH pathway is involved mainly in pattern formation, while in latter stages its function in stem cell and progenitor proliferation becomes increasingly relevant. During postnatal development and in adult tissues, SHH/GLI promotes cell homeostasis by actively regulating gene transcription, recapitulating the function observed during normal tissue growth. In this review, we will briefly discuss the fundamental importance of SHH/GLI in tumor growth and cancer evolution and we will then provide insights into a possible novel mechanism of SHH action in cancer through autophagy modulation in cancer stem cells. Autophagy is a homeostatic mechanism that when disrupted can promote and accelerate tumor progression in both cancer cells and the stroma that harbors tumorigenesis. Understanding possible new targets for SHH signaling and its contribution to cancer through modulation of autophagy might provide better strategies in order to design combined treatments and perform clinical trials.

Globular Adiponectin Attenuated H2O2-Induced Apoptosis in Rat Chondrocytes by Inducing Autophagy Through the AMPK/ mTOR Pathway.

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Hu, Junzheng; Cui, Weiding; Ding, Wenxiao; Gu, Yanqing; Wang, Zhen; Fan, Weimin

2017-01-01

Chondrocyte apoptosis is closely related to the development and progression of osteoarthritis. Global adiponectin (gAPN), secreted from adipose tissue, possesses potent anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties in various cell types. This study aimed to investigate the role of autophagy induced by gAPN in the suppression of H2O2-induced apoptosis and the potential mechanism of gAPN-induced autophagy in chondrocytes. H2O2 was used to induce apoptotic injury in rat chondrocytes. CCK-8 assay was performed to determine the viability of cells treated with different concentrations of gAPN with or without H2O2. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential was examined using JC-1 fluorescence staining assay. The autophagy inhibitors 3-MA and Bafilomycin A1 were used to treat cells and then evaluate the effect of gAPN-induced autophagy. To determine the downstream pathway, chondrocytes were preincubated with the AMPK inhibitor Compound C. Beclin-1, LC3B, P62 and apoptosis-related proteins were identified by Western blot analysis. H2O2 (400 µM)-induced chondrocytes apoptosis and caspase-3 activation were attenuated by gAPN (0.5 µg/mL). gAPN increased Bcl-2 expression and decreased Bax expression. The loss of mitochondrial membrane potential induced by H2O2 was also abolished by gAPN. Furthermore, the antiapoptotic effect of gAPN was related to gAPN-induced autophagy by increased formation of Beclin-1 and LC3B and P62 degradation. In particular, the inhibition of gAPN-induced autophagy by 3-MA prevented the protective effect of gAPN on apoptosis induced by H2O2. Moreover, gAPN increased p-AMPK expression and decreased p-mTOR expression. Compound C partly suppressed the expression of autophagy-related proteins and restored the expression of p-mTOR suppressed by gAPN. Thus, the AMPK/mTOR pathway played an important role in the induction of autophagy and protection of H2O2-induced chondrocytes apoptosis by gAPN. g

Globular Adiponectin Attenuated H2O2-Induced Apoptosis in Rat Chondrocytes by Inducing Autophagy Through the AMPK/ mTOR Pathway

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Junzheng Hu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Chondrocyte apoptosis is closely related to the development and progression of osteoarthritis. Global adiponectin (gAPN, secreted from adipose tissue, possesses potent anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties in various cell types. This study aimed to investigate the role of autophagy induced by gAPN in the suppression of H2O2-induced apoptosis and the potential mechanism of gAPN-induced autophagy in chondrocytes. Methods: H2O2 was used to induce apoptotic injury in rat chondrocytes. CCK-8 assay was performed to determine the viability of cells treated with different concentrations of gAPN with or without H2O2. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential was examined using JC-1 fluorescence staining assay. The autophagy inhibitors 3-MA and Bafilomycin A1 were used to treat cells and then evaluate the effect of gAPN-induced autophagy. To determine the downstream pathway, chondrocytes were preincubated with the AMPK inhibitor Compound C. Beclin-1, LC3B, P62 and apoptosis-related proteins were identified by Western blot analysis. Results: H2O2 (400 µM-induced chondrocytes apoptosis and caspase-3 activation were attenuated by gAPN (0.5 µg/mL. gAPN increased Bcl-2 expression and decreased Bax expression. The loss of mitochondrial membrane potential induced by H2O2 was also abolished by gAPN. Furthermore, the antiapoptotic effect of gAPN was related to gAPN-induced autophagy by increased formation of Beclin-1 and LC3B and P62 degradation. In particular, the inhibition of gAPN-induced autophagy by 3-MA prevented the protective effect of gAPN on apoptosis induced by H2O2. Moreover, gAPN increased p-AMPK expression and decreased p-mTOR expression. Compound C partly suppressed the expression of autophagy-related proteins and restored the expression of p-mTOR suppressed by gAPN. Thus, the AMPK/mTOR pathway played an important role in the induction of autophagy and protection of

Arginine vasopressin neuronal loss results from autophagy-associated cell death in a mouse model for familial neurohypophysial diabetes insipidus

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Hagiwara, D; Arima, H; Morishita, Y; Wenjun, L; Azuma, Y; Ito, Y; Suga, H; Goto, M; Banno, R; Sugimura, Y; Shiota, A; Asai, N; Takahashi, M; Oiso, Y

2014-01-01

Familial neurohypophysial diabetes insipidus (FNDI) characterized by progressive polyuria is mostly caused by mutations in the gene encoding neurophysin II (NPII), which is the carrier protein of the antidiuretic hormone, arginine vasopressin (AVP). Although accumulation of mutant NPII in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) could be toxic for AVP neurons, the precise mechanisms of cell death of AVP neurons, reported in autopsy studies, remain unclear. Here, we subjected FNDI model mice to intermittent water deprivation (WD) in order to promote the phenotypes. Electron microscopic analyses demonstrated that, while aggregates are confined to a certain compartment of the ER in the AVP neurons of FNDI mice with water access ad libitum, they were scattered throughout the dilated ER lumen in the FNDI mice subjected to WD for 4 weeks. It is also demonstrated that phagophores, the autophagosome precursors, emerged in the vicinity of aggregates and engulfed the ER containing scattered aggregates. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that expression of p62, an adapter protein between ubiquitin and autophagosome, was elicited on autophagosomal membranes in the AVP neurons, suggesting selective autophagy induction at this time point. Treatment of hypothalamic explants of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) transgenic mice with an ER stressor thapsigargin increased the number of GFP-LC3 puncta, suggesting that ER stress could induce autophagosome formation in the hypothalamus of wild-type mice as well. The cytoplasm of AVP neurons in FNDI mice was occupied with vacuoles in the mice subjected to WD for 12 weeks, when 30–40% of AVP neurons are lost. Our data thus demonstrated that autophagy was induced in the AVP neurons subjected to ER stress in FNDI mice. Although autophagy should primarily be protective for neurons, it is suggested that the organelles including ER were lost over time through autophagy, leading to autophagy

Autophagy contributes to 4-Amino-2-Trifluoromethyl-Phenyl Retinate-induced differentiation in human acute promyelocytic leukemia NB4 cells

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Li, Yue; Li, Ge; Wang, Ke; Xie, Ya-Ya; Zhou, Ren-Peng; Meng, Yao; Ding, Ran; Ge, Jin-Fang; Chen, Fei-Hu, E-mail: cfhchina@sohu.com

2017-03-15

As a classic differentiation agent, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been widely used in treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, clinical application of ATRA has limitations. Our previous studies suggested that 4-Amino-2-Trifluoromethyl-Phenyl Retinate (ATPR), a novel all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) derivative designed and synthesized by our team, could induce differentiation of APL cells in vivo and in vitro. To explore the underlying mechanism of ATPR, the effect of ATPR on autophagy of APL cells was observed in the present study. The results showed that the differentiation effect of ATPR on APL cells was accompanied with autophagy induction and PML-RARα degradation via activating Notch1 signaling pathway. Moreover, inhibition of autophagy using 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or small interfering RNA (siRNA) that targets essential autophagy gene ATG5 abrogated the ATPR-induced cell differentiation. Furthermore, when pretreated with DAPT, a γ-secretase inhibitor, the Notch1 signaling pathway was blocked in APL cells, followed by the reduction of ATPR-induced autophagy and differentiation. Taken together, these results suggested that autophagy play an important role in ATPR-induced cell differentiation, which may provide a novel approach to cure APL patients. - Highlights: • ATPR induces autophagy in APL cell line NB4 cells. • Autophagy induction is essential for cell differentiation in NB4 cells. • Notch1 signaling is involved in ATPR-induced autophagy and differentiation in NB4 cells.

Emerging connections between RNA and autophagy

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Frankel, Lisa B; Lubas, Michal; Lund, Anders H

2017-01-01

in yeast, plants and animals, reviewing the molecular mechanisms and biological importance in normal physiology, stress and disease. In addition, we explore emerging evidence of core autophagy regulation mediated by RNA-binding proteins and noncoding RNAs, and point to gaps in our current knowledge......Macroautophagy/autophagy is a key catabolic process, essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and survival through the removal and recycling of unwanted cellular material. Emerging evidence has revealed intricate connections between the RNA and autophagy research fields. While a majority...... of the connection between RNA and autophagy. Finally, we discuss the pathological implications of RNA-protein aggregation, primarily in the context of neurodegenerative disease....

Autophagy in DNA Damage Response

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Piotr Czarny

2015-01-01

Full Text Available DNA damage response (DDR involves DNA repair, cell cycle regulation and apoptosis, but autophagy is also suggested to play a role in DDR. Autophagy can be activated in response to DNA-damaging agents, but the exact mechanism underlying this activation is not fully understood, although it is suggested that it involves the inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1. mTORC1 represses autophagy via phosphorylation of the ULK1/2–Atg13–FIP200 complex thus preventing maturation of pre-autophagosomal structures. When DNA damage occurs, it is recognized by some proteins or their complexes, such as poly(ADPribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1, Mre11–Rad50–Nbs1 (MRN complex or FOXO3, which activate repressors of mTORC1. SQSTM1/p62 is one of the proteins whose levels are regulated via autophagic degradation. Inhibition of autophagy by knockout of FIP200 results in upregulation of SQSTM1/p62, enhanced DNA damage and less efficient damage repair. Mitophagy, one form of autophagy involved in the selective degradation of mitochondria, may also play role in DDR. It degrades abnormal mitochondria and can either repress or activate apoptosis, but the exact mechanism remains unknown. There is a need to clarify the role of autophagy in DDR, as this process may possess several important biomedical applications, involving also cancer therapy.

Autophagy in endometriosis: Friend or foe?

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Zhan, Lei; Li, Jun; Wei, Bing

2018-01-01

Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent disease and characterized by the implantation of endometrial glands and stroma deep and haphazardly into the outside the uterine cavity. It affects an estimated 10% of the female population of reproductive age and results in obvious reduction in health-related quality of life. Unfortunately, there is no a consistent theory for the etiology of endometriosis. Furthermore, the endometriosis is hard to diagnose in early stage and the treatment methods are limited. Importantly, emerging evidence has investigated that there is a close relationship between endometriosis and autophagy. However, autophagy is a friend or foe in endometriosis is puzzling, the precise mechanism underlying autophagy in endometriosis has not been fully elucidated yet. Here, we provide an integrated view on the acquired findings of the connections between endometriosis and autophagy. We also discuss which may contribute to the abnormal level of autophagy in endometriosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Grouping annotations on the subcellular layered interactome demonstrates enhanced autophagy activity in a recurrent experimental autoimmune uveitis T cell line.

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Xiuzhi Jia

Full Text Available Human uveitis is a type of T cell-mediated autoimmune disease that often shows relapse-remitting courses affecting multiple biological processes. As a cytoplasmic process, autophagy has been seen as an adaptive response to cell death and survival, yet the link between autophagy and T cell-mediated autoimmunity is not certain. In this study, based on the differentially expressed genes (GSE19652 between the recurrent versus monophasic T cell lines, whose adoptive transfer to susceptible animals may result in respective recurrent or monophasic uveitis, we proposed grouping annotations on a subcellular layered interactome framework to analyze the specific bioprocesses that are linked to the recurrence of T cell autoimmunity. That is, the subcellular layered interactome was established by the Cytoscape and Cerebral plugin based on differential expression, global interactome, and subcellular localization information. Then, the layered interactomes were grouping annotated by the ClueGO plugin based on Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases. The analysis showed that significant bioprocesses with autophagy were orchestrated in the cytoplasmic layered interactome and that mTOR may have a regulatory role in it. Furthermore, by setting up recurrent and monophasic uveitis in Lewis rats, we confirmed by transmission electron microscopy that, in comparison to the monophasic disease, recurrent uveitis in vivo showed significantly increased autophagy activity and extended lymphocyte infiltration to the affected retina. In summary, our framework methodology is a useful tool to disclose specific bioprocesses and molecular targets that can be attributed to a certain disease. Our results indicated that targeted inhibition of autophagy pathways may perturb the recurrence of uveitis.

Arsenite-induced autophagy is associated with proteotoxicity in human lymphoblastoid cells

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Bolt, Alicia M.; Zhao, Fei; Pacheco, Samantha; Klimecki, Walter T., E-mail: klimecki@pharmacy.arizona.edu

2012-10-15

Epidemiological studies of arsenic-exposed populations have provided evidence that arsenic exposure in humans is associated with immunosuppression. Previously, we have reported that arsenite-induced toxicity is associated with the induction of autophagy in human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). Autophagy is a cellular process that functions in the degradation of damaged cellular components, including protein aggregates formed by misfolded or damaged proteins. Accumulation of misfolded or damaged proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen causes ER stress and activates the unfolded protein response (UPR). In an effort to investigate the mechanism of autophagy induction by arsenite in the LCL model, we examined the potential contribution of ER stress and activation of the UPR. LCL exposed to sodium arsenite for 8-days induced expression of UPR-activated genes, including CHOP and GRP78, at the RNA and the protein level. Evidence for activation of the three arms of the UPR was observed. The arsenite-induced activation of the UPR was associated with an accumulation of protein aggregates containing p62 and LC3, proteins with established roles in the sequestration and autophagic clearance of protein aggregates. Taken together, these data provide evidence that arsenite-induced autophagy is associated with the generation of ER stress, activation of the UPR, and formation of protein aggregates that may be targeted to the lysosome for degradation. -- Highlights: ► Arsenite induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response. ► Arsenite induces the formation of protein aggregates that contain p62 and LC3-II. ► Time-course data suggests that arsenite-induced autophagy precedes ER stress.

Autophagy Is a Protective Response to the Oxidative Damage to Endplate Chondrocytes in Intervertebral Disc: Implications for the Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Disc

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Ke Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Low back pain (LBP is the leading cause of disability in the elderly. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD was considered as the main cause for LBP. Degeneration of cartilaginous endplate was a crucial harmful factor during the initiation and development of IDD. Oxidative stress was implicated in IDD. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for the degeneration of cartilaginous endplate remains elusive. Herein, we found that oxidative stress could induce apoptosis and autophagy in endplate chondrocytes evidenced by western blot analysis, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, GFP-LC3B transfection, and MDC staining. In addition, we also found that the apoptosis of endplate chondrocytes was significantly increased after the inhibition of autophagy by bafilomycin A1 shown by flow cytometry. Furthermore, mTOR pathway upstream autophagy was greatly suppressed suggested by western blot assay. In conclusion, our study strongly revealed that oxidative stress could increase autophagy and apoptosis of endplate chondrocytes in intervertebral disc. The increase of autophagy activity could prevent endplate chondrocytes from apoptosis. The autophagy in endplate chondrocytes induced by oxidative stress was mTOR dependent. These findings might shed some new lights on the mechanism for IDD and provide new strategies for the treatments of IDD.

Autophagy attenuates the catabolic effect during inflammatory conditions in nucleus pulposus cells, as sustained by NF-κB and JNK inhibition

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XU, KANG; CHEN, WEIJIAN; WANG, XIAOFEI; PENG, YAN; LIANG, ANJING; HUANG, DONGSHENG; LI, CHUNHAI; YE, WEI

2015-01-01

Proteoglycan degradation contributing to the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is induced by inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Cell autophagy exists in degenerative diseases, including osteoarthritis and inter-vertebral disc degeneration. However, the autophagy induced by TNF-α and IL-1β and the corresponding molecular mechanism appear to be cell-type dependent. The effect and mechanism of autophagy regulated by TNF-α and IL-1β in IVDs remains unclear. Additionally, the impact of autophagy on the catabolic effect in inflammatory conditions also remains elusive. In the present study, autophagy activator and inhibitor were used to demonstrate the impact of autophagy on the catabolic effect induced by TNF-α. A critical role of autophagy was identified in rat nucleus pulposus (NP) cells: Inhibition of autophagy suppresses, while activation of autophagy enhances, the catabolic effect of cytokines. Subsequently, the autophagy-related gene expression in rat NP cells following TNF-α and IL-1β treatment was observed using immunofluorescence, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis; however, no association was present. In addition, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinases and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors and TNF-α were used to determine the molecular mechanism of autophagy during the inflammatory conditions, and only the NF-κB and JNK inhibitor were found to enhance the autophagy of rat NP cells. Finally, IKKβ knockdown was used to further confirm the effect of the NF-κB signal on human NP cells autophagy, and the data showed that IKKβ knockdown upregulated the autophagy of NP cells during inflammatory conditions. PMID:26165348

Autophagy and bacterial clearance: a not so clear picture

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Mostowy, Serge

2012-01-01

Autophagy, an intracellular degradation process highly conserved from yeast to humans, is viewed as an important defence mechanism to clear intracellular bacteria. However, recent work has shown that autophagy may have different roles during different bacterial infections that restrict bacterial replication (antibacterial autophagy), act in cell autonomous signalling (non-bacterial autophagy) or support bacterial replication (pro-bacterial autophagy). This review will focus on newfound intera...

Autophagy, inflammation and innate immunity in inflammatory myopathies.

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Cristina Cappelletti

Full Text Available Autophagy has a large range of physiological functions and its dysregulation contributes to several human disorders, including autoinflammatory/autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory myopathies (IIMs. In order to better understand the pathogenetic mechanisms of these muscular disorders, we sought to define the role of autophagic processes and their relation with the innate immune system in the three main subtypes of IIM, specifically sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM, polymyositis (PM, dermatomyositis (DM and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM. We found that although the mRNA transcript levels of the autophagy-related genes BECN1, ATG5 and FBXO32 were similar in IIM and controls, autophagy activation in all IIM subgroups was suggested by immunoblotting results and confirmed by immunofluorescence. TLR4 and TLR3, two potent inducers of autophagy, were highly increased in IIM, with TLR4 transcripts significantly more expressed in PM and DM than in JDM, sIBM and controls, and TLR3 transcripts highly up-regulated in all IIM subgroups compared to controls. Co-localization between autophagic marker, LC3, and TLR4 and TLR3 was observed not only in sIBM but also in PM, DM and JDM muscle tissues. Furthermore, a highly association with the autophagic processes was observed in all IIM subgroups also for some TLR4 ligands, endogenous and bacterial HSP60, other than the high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1. These findings indicate that autophagic processes are active not only in sIBM but also in PM, DM and JDM, probably in response to an exogenous or endogenous 'danger signal'. However, autophagic activation and regulation, and also interaction with the innate immune system, differ in each type of IIM. Better understanding of these differences may lead to new therapies for the different IIM types.

Involvement of Autophagy in Coronavirus Replication

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Paul Britton

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Coronaviruses are single stranded, positive sense RNA viruses, which induce the rearrangement of cellular membranes upon infection of a host cell. This provides the virus with a platform for the assembly of viral replication complexes, improving efficiency of RNA synthesis. The membranes observed in coronavirus infected cells include double membrane vesicles. By nature of their double membrane, these vesicles resemble cellular autophagosomes, generated during the cellular autophagy pathway. In addition, coronavirus infection has been demonstrated to induce autophagy. Here we review current knowledge of coronavirus induced membrane rearrangements and the involvement of autophagy or autophagy protein microtubule associated protein 1B light chain 3 (LC3 in coronavirus replication.

Autophagy response: manipulating the mTOR-controlled machinery by amino acids and pathogens.

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Fader, Claudio Marcelo; Aguilera, Milton Osmar; Colombo, María Isabel

2015-10-01

Macroautophagy is a self-degradative process that normally maintains cellular homeostasis via a lysosomal pathway. It is induced by different stress signals, including nutrients and growth factors' restriction as well as pathogen invasions. These stimuli are modulated by the serine/threonine protein kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) which control not only autophagy but also protein translation and gene expression. This review focuses on the important role of mTOR as a master regulator of cell growth and the autophagy pathway. Here, we have discussed the role of intracellular amino acid availability and intracellular pH in the redistribution of autophagic structures, which may contribute to mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity regulation. We have also discussed that mTORC1 complex and components of the autophagy machinery are localized at the lysosomal surface, representing a fascinating mechanism to control the metabolism, cellular clearance and also to restrain invading intracellular pathogens.

Loss of Autophagy in Proopiomelanocortin Neurons Perturbs Axon Growth and Causes Metabolic Dysregulation

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Coupé, Bérengère; Ishii, Yuko; Dietrich, Marcelo O; Komatsu, Masaaki; Horvath, Tamas L.; Bouret, Sebastien G.

2012-01-01

Summary The hypothalamic melanocortin system, which includes neurons that produce proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides, is a major negative regulator of energy balance. POMC neurons begin to acquire their unique properties during neonatal life. The formation of functional neural systems requires massive cytoplasmic remodeling that may involve autophagy, an important intracellular mechanism for the degradation of damaged proteins and organelles. Here we investigated the functional and structural effects of the deletion of an essential autophagy gene, Atg7, in POMC neurons. Lack of Atg7 in POMC neurons caused higher post-weaning body weight, increased adiposity, and glucose intolerance. These metabolic impairments were associated with an age-dependant accumulation of ubiquitin/p62-positive aggregates in the hypothalamus and a disruption in the maturation of POMC-containing axonal projections. Together, these data provide direct genetic evidence that Atg7 in POMC neurons is required for normal metabolic regulation and neural development, and they implicate hypothalamic autophagy deficiency in the pathogenesis of obesity. PMID:22285542

Age-related disruption of autophagy in dermal fibroblasts modulates extracellular matrix components

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Tashiro, Kanae [Skin Research Department, POLA Chemical Industries, Inc., Yokohama (Japan); Division of Pharmaceutical Cell Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan); Shishido, Mayumi [Skin Research Department, POLA Chemical Industries, Inc., Yokohama (Japan); Fujimoto, Keiko [Division of Pharmaceutical Cell Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan); Organelle Homeostasis Research Center, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan); Hirota, Yuko [Division of Pharmaceutical Cell Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan); Yo, Kazuyuki; Gomi, Takamasa [Skin Research Department, POLA Chemical Industries, Inc., Yokohama (Japan); Tanaka, Yoshitaka, E-mail: tanakay@bioc.phar.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Division of Pharmaceutical Cell Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan); Organelle Homeostasis Research Center, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan)

2014-01-03

Highlights: •Autophagosomes accumulate in aged dermal fibroblasts. •Autophagic degradation is impaired in aged dermal fibroblasts. •Autophagy disruption affects extracellular matrix components in dermal fibroblasts. -- Abstract: Autophagy is an intracellular degradative system that is believed to be involved in the aging process. The contribution of autophagy to age-related changes in the human skin is unclear. In this study, we examined the relationship between autophagy and skin aging. Transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses of skin tissue and cultured dermal fibroblasts derived from women of different ages revealed an increase in the number of nascent double-membrane autophagosomes with age. Western blot analysis showed that the amount of LC3-II, a form associated with autophagic vacuolar membranes, was significantly increased in aged dermal fibroblasts compared with that in young dermal fibroblasts. Aged dermal fibroblasts were minimally affected by inhibition of autophagic activity. Although lipofuscin autofluorescence was elevated in aged dermal fibroblasts, the expression of Beclin-1 and Atg5—genes essential for autophagosome formation—was similar between young and aged dermal fibroblasts, suggesting that the increase of autophagosomes in aged dermal fibroblasts was due to impaired autophagic flux rather than an increase in autophagosome formation. Treatment of young dermal fibroblasts with lysosomal protease inhibitors, which mimic the condition of aged dermal fibroblasts with reduced autophagic activity, altered the fibroblast content of type I procollagen, hyaluronan and elastin, and caused a breakdown of collagen fibrils. Collectively, these findings suggest that the autophagy pathway is impaired in aged dermal fibroblasts, which leads to deterioration of dermal integrity and skin fragility.

Age-related disruption of autophagy in dermal fibroblasts modulates extracellular matrix components

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Tashiro, Kanae; Shishido, Mayumi; Fujimoto, Keiko; Hirota, Yuko; Yo, Kazuyuki; Gomi, Takamasa; Tanaka, Yoshitaka

2014-01-01

Highlights: •Autophagosomes accumulate in aged dermal fibroblasts. •Autophagic degradation is impaired in aged dermal fibroblasts. •Autophagy disruption affects extracellular matrix components in dermal fibroblasts. -- Abstract: Autophagy is an intracellular degradative system that is believed to be involved in the aging process. The contribution of autophagy to age-related changes in the human skin is unclear. In this study, we examined the relationship between autophagy and skin aging. Transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses of skin tissue and cultured dermal fibroblasts derived from women of different ages revealed an increase in the number of nascent double-membrane autophagosomes with age. Western blot analysis showed that the amount of LC3-II, a form associated with autophagic vacuolar membranes, was significantly increased in aged dermal fibroblasts compared with that in young dermal fibroblasts. Aged dermal fibroblasts were minimally affected by inhibition of autophagic activity. Although lipofuscin autofluorescence was elevated in aged dermal fibroblasts, the expression of Beclin-1 and Atg5—genes essential for autophagosome formation—was similar between young and aged dermal fibroblasts, suggesting that the increase of autophagosomes in aged dermal fibroblasts was due to impaired autophagic flux rather than an increase in autophagosome formation. Treatment of young dermal fibroblasts with lysosomal protease inhibitors, which mimic the condition of aged dermal fibroblasts with reduced autophagic activity, altered the fibroblast content of type I procollagen, hyaluronan and elastin, and caused a breakdown of collagen fibrils. Collectively, these findings suggest that the autophagy pathway is impaired in aged dermal fibroblasts, which leads to deterioration of dermal integrity and skin fragility

EPG5-related Vici syndrome: a paradigm of neurodevelopmental disorders with defective autophagy

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Byrne, Susan; Jansen, Lara; U-King-Im, Jean-Marie; Siddiqui, Ata; Lidov, Hart G. W.; Bodi, Istvan; Smith, Luke; Mein, Rachael; Cullup, Thomas; Dionisi-Vici, Carlo; Al-Gazali, Lihadh; Al-Owain, Mohammed; Bruwer, Zandre; Al Thihli, Khalid; El-Garhy, Rana; Flanigan, Kevin M.; Manickam, Kandamurugu; Zmuda, Erik; Banks, Wesley; Gershoni-Baruch, Ruth; Mandel, Hanna; Dagan, Efrat; Raas-Rothschild, Annick; Barash, Hila; Filloux, Francis; Creel, Donnell; Harris, Michael; Hamosh, Ada; Kölker, Stefan; Ebrahimi-Fakhari, Darius; Hoffmann, Georg F.; Manchester, David; Boyer, Philip J.; Manzur, Adnan Y.; Lourenco, Charles Marques; Pilz, Daniela T.; Kamath, Arveen; Prabhakar, Prab; Rao, Vamshi K.; Rogers, R. Curtis; Ryan, Monique M.; Brown, Natasha J.; McLean, Catriona A.; Said, Edith; Schara, Ulrike; Stein, Anja; Sewry, Caroline; Travan, Laura; Wijburg, Frits A.; Zenker, Martin; Mohammed, Shehla; Fanto, Manolis; Gautel, Mathias; Jungbluth, Heinz

2016-01-01

Vici syndrome is a progressive neurodevelopmental multisystem disorder due to recessive mutations in the key autophagy gene EPG5. We report genetic, clinical, neuroradiological, and neuropathological features of 50 children from 30 families, as well as the neuronal phenotype of EPG5 knock-down in

Role of ROS-mediated autophagy in radiation-induced bystander effect of hepatoma cells.

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Wang, Xiangdong; Zhang, Jianghong; Fu, Jiamei; Wang, Juan; Ye, Shuang; Liu, Weili; Shao, Chunlin

2015-05-01

Autophagy plays a crucial role in cellular response to ionizing radiation, but it is unclear whether autophagy can modulate radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE). Here, we investigated the relationship between bystander damage and autophagy in human hepatoma cells of HepG2. HepG2 cells were treated with conditioned medium (CM) collected from 3 Gy γ-rays irradiated hepatoma HepG2 cells for 4, 12, or 24 h, followed by the measurement of micronuclei (MN), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and protein expressions of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin-1 in the bystander HepG2 cells. In some experiments, the bystander HepG2 cells were respectively transfected with LC3 small interfering RNA (siRNA), Beclin-1 siRNA or treated with 1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Additional MN and mitochondrial dysfunction coupled with ROS were induced in the bystander cells. The expressions of protein markers of autophagy, LC3-II/LC3-I and Beclin-1, increased in the bystander cells. The inductions of bystander MN and overexpressions of LC3 and Beclin-1 were significantly diminished by DMSO. However, when the bystander cells were transfected with LC3 siRNA or Beclin-1 siRNA, the yield of bystander MN was significantly enhanced. The elevated ROS have bi-functions in balancing the bystander effects. One is to cause MN and the other is to induce protective autophagy.

Regulation of Autophagy by Glucose in Mammalian Cells

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Erwin Knecht

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process that contributes to maintain cell homeostasis. Although it is strongly regulated by many extracellular factors, induction of autophagy is mainly produced by starvation of nutrients. In mammalian cells, the regulation of autophagy by amino acids, and also by the hormone insulin, has been extensively investigated, but knowledge about the effects of other autophagy regulators, including another nutrient, glucose, is more limited. Here we will focus on the signalling pathways by which environmental glucose directly, i.e., independently of insulin and glucagon, regulates autophagy in mammalian cells, but we will also briefly mention some data in yeast. Although glucose deprivation mainly induces autophagy via AMPK activation and the subsequent inhibition of mTORC1, we will also comment other signalling pathways, as well as evidences indicating that, under certain conditions, autophagy can be activated by glucose. A better understanding on how glucose regulates autophagy not only will expand our basic knowledge of this important cell process, but it will be also relevant to understand common human disorders, such as cancer and diabetes, in which glucose levels play an important role.

Meclofenamic Acid Reduces Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation and Apoptosis, Inhibits Excessive Autophagy, and Protects Hair Cell-Like HEI-OC1 Cells From Cisplatin-Induced Damage

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He Li

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in humans, and a significant number of cases is due to the ototoxicity of drugs such as cisplatin that cause hair cell (HC damage. Thus, there is great interest in finding agents and mechanisms that protect HCs from ototoxic drug damage. It has been proposed that epigenetic modifications are related to inner ear development and play a significant role in HC protection and HC regeneration; however, whether the m6A modification and the ethyl ester form of meclofenamic acid (MA2, which is a highly selective inhibitor of FTO (fatmass and obesity-associated enzyme, one of the primary human demethylases, can affect the process of HC apoptosis induced by ototoxic drugs remains largely unexplored. In this study, we took advantage of the HEI-OC1 cell line, which is a cochlear HC-like cell line, to investigate the role of epigenetic modifications in cisplatin-induced cell death. We found that cisplatin injury caused reactive oxygen species accumulation and increased apoptosis in HEI-OC1 cells, and the cisplatin injury was reduced by co-treatment with MA2 compared to the cisplatin-only group. Further investigation showed that MA2 attenuated cisplatin-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in HEI-OC1 cells. We next found that the cisplatin-induced upregulation of autophagy was significantly inhibited after MA2 treatment, indicating that MA2 inhibited the cisplatin-induced excessive autophagy. Our findings show that MA2 has a protective effect and improves the viability of HEI-OC1 cells after cisplatin treatment, and they provide new insights into potential therapeutic targets for the amelioration of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.

DNA damage and autophagy

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Rodriguez-Rocha, Humberto; Garcia-Garcia, Aracely; Panayiotidis, Mihalis I.; Franco, Rodrigo

2011-01-01

Both exogenous and endogenous agents are a threat to DNA integrity. Exogenous environmental agents such as ultraviolet (UV) and ionizing radiation, genotoxic chemicals and endogenous byproducts of metabolism including reactive oxygen species can cause alterations in DNA structure (DNA damage). Unrepaired DNA damage has been linked to a variety of human disorders including cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Thus, efficient mechanisms to detect DNA lesions, signal their presence and promote their repair have been evolved in cells. If DNA is effectively repaired, DNA damage response is inactivated and normal cell functioning resumes. In contrast, when DNA lesions cannot be removed, chronic DNA damage triggers specific cell responses such as cell death and senescence. Recently, DNA damage has been shown to induce autophagy, a cellular catabolic process that maintains a balance between synthesis, degradation, and recycling of cellular components. But the exact mechanisms by which DNA damage triggers autophagy are unclear. More importantly, the role of autophagy in the DNA damage response and cellular fate is unknown. In this review we analyze evidence that supports a role for autophagy as an integral part of the DNA damage response.

Hypercholesterolemia downregulates autophagy in the rat heart.

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Giricz, Zoltán; Koncsos, Gábor; Rajtík, Tomáš; Varga, Zoltán V; Baranyai, Tamás; Csonka, Csaba; Szobi, Adrián; Adameová, Adriana; Gottlieb, Roberta A; Ferdinandy, Péter

2017-03-23

We have previously shown that efficiency of ischemic conditioning is diminished in hypercholesterolemia and that autophagy is necessary for cardioprotection. However, it is unknown whether isolated hypercholesterolemia disturbs autophagy or the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Therefore, we investigated whether isolated hypercholesterolemia modulates cardiac autophagy-related pathways or programmed cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and necroptosis in rat heart. Male Wistar rats were fed either normal chow (NORM; n = 9) or with 2% cholesterol and 0.25% cholic acid-enriched diet (CHOL; n = 9) for 12 weeks. CHOL rats exhibited a 41% increase in plasma total cholesterol level over that of NORM rats (4.09 mmol/L vs. 2.89 mmol/L) at the end of diet period. Animals were sacrificed, hearts were excised and briefly washed out. Left ventricles were snap-frozen for determination of markers of autophagy, mTOR pathway, apoptosis, and necroptosis by Western blot. Isolated hypercholesterolemia was associated with a significant reduction in expression of cardiac autophagy markers such as LC3-II, Beclin-1, Rubicon and RAB7 as compared to controls. Phosphorylation of ribosomal S6, a surrogate marker for mTOR activity, was increased in CHOL samples. Cleaved caspase-3, a marker of apoptosis, increased in CHOL hearts, while no difference in the expression of necroptotic marker RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL was detected between treatments. This is the first comprehensive analysis of autophagy and programmed cell death pathways of apoptosis and necroptosis in hearts of hypercholesterolemic rats. Our data show that isolated hypercholesterolemia suppresses basal cardiac autophagy and that the decrease in autophagy may be a result of an activated mTOR pathway. Reduced autophagy was accompanied by increased apoptosis, while cardiac necroptosis was not modulated by isolated hypercholesterolemia. Decreased basal autophagy and elevated apoptosis may be responsible for the

Autophagy as a potential target for sarcoma treatment.

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Min, Li; Choy, Edwin; Pollock, Raphael E; Tu, Chongqi; Hornicek, Francis; Duan, Zhenfeng

2017-08-01

Autophagy is a constitutively active, evolutionary conserved, catabolic process for maintaining homeostasis in cellular stress responses and cell survival. Although its mechanism has not been fully illustrated, recent work on autophagy in various types of sarcomas has demonstrated that autophagy exerts an important role in sarcoma cell growth and proliferation, in pro-survival response to therapies and stresses, and in therapeutic resistance of sarcoma. Thus, the autophagic process is being seen as a possibly novel therapeutic target of sarcoma. Additionally, some co-regulators of autophagy have also been investigated as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of sarcoma. In this review, we summarize contemporary advances in the role of autophagy in sarcoma and discuss the potential of autophagy as a new target for sarcoma treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cardiac-specific catalase overexpression rescues anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction: role of oxidative stress and autophagy

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Kandadi Machender R

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lethal and edema toxins secreted by Bacillus anthracis during anthrax infection were found to incite serious cardiovascular complications. However, the underlying mechanisms in anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiac anomalies remain unknown. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of antioxidant enzyme catalase in anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction. Methods Wild type (WT and cardiac-specific catalase overexpression mice were challenged with lethal toxin (2 μg/g, intraperotineally (i.p.. Cardiomyocyte contractile and intracellular Ca2+ properties were assessed 18 h later using an IonOptix edge-detection system. Proteasome function was assessed using chymotrypsin-like and caspase-like activities. GFP-LC3 puncta and Western blot analysis were used to evaluate autophagy and protein ubiquitination. Results Lethal toxin exposure suppressed cardiomyocyte contractile function (suppressed peak shortening, maximal velocity of shortening/re-lengthening, prolonged duration of shortening/re-lengthening, and impaired intracellular Ca2+ handling, the effects of which were alleviated by catalase. In addition, lethal toxin triggered autophagy, mitochondrial and ubiquitin-proteasome defects, the effects of which were mitigated by catalase. Pretreatment of cardiomyocytes from catalase mice with the autophagy inducer rapamycin significantly attenuated or ablated catalase-offered protection against lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte dysfunction. On the other hand, the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA ablated or significantly attenuated lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile anomalies. Conclusions Our results suggest that catalase is protective against anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile and intracellular Ca2+ anomalies, possibly through regulation of autophagy and mitochondrial function.

Regulation of Autophagy by Glucose in Mammalian Cells

OpenAIRE

Moruno, Félix; Pérez-Jiménez, Eva; Knecht, Erwin

2012-01-01

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process that contributes to maintain cell homeostasis. Although it is strongly regulated by many extracellular factors, induction of autophagy is mainly produced by starvation of nutrients. In mammalian cells, the regulation of autophagy by amino acids, and also by the hormone insulin, has been extensively investigated, but knowledge about the effects of other autophagy regulators, including another nutrient, glucose, is more limited. Here we will focu...

Autophagy in RAW264.7 Cells Treated with Surface-Functionalized Graphene Oxides

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Chang Seok Park

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated cytotoxicity, particularly autophagy, in RAW264.7 cells exposed to graphene oxide (GO and its derivatives (dodecylamine-GO (DA-GO, reduced GO (rGO, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-rGO (SDS-rGO. Appearance of amine stretching bands, out-of-plane C-H stretching vibrations, and S=O stretching bands in infrared spectra indicated the formation of DA-GO, rGO, and SDS-rGO, respectively. Light microscopy and microculture tetrazolium assay showed that all the GO types exerted cytotoxic effects on RAW264.7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Higher concentrations of the GO types downregulated the expression of PU.1, a unique transcription factor in monocytes and macrophages, and decreased the conversion of LC3A/B-I to LC3A/B-II, suggesting that PU.1 was associated with autophagy in RAW264.7 cells. These results suggested that surface-functionalized GOs exerted cytotoxic effects in a concentration-dependent manner by changing the expression of critical genes and inducing autophagy in macrophages.

Curcumin attenuates paraquat-induced cell death in human neuroblastoma cells through modulating oxidative stress and autophagy.

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Jaroonwitchawan, Thiranut; Chaicharoenaudomrung, Nipha; Namkaew, Jirapat; Noisa, Parinya

2017-01-01

Paraquat is a neurotoxic agent, and oxidative stress plays an important role in neuronal cell death after paraquat exposure. In this study, we assessed the neuroprotective effect of curcumin against paraquat and explored the underlying mechanisms of curcumin in vitro. Curcumin treatment prevented paraquat-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic cell death. Curcumin also exerted a neuroprotective effect by increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic and antioxidant genes. The pretreatment of curcumin significantly decreased gene expression and protein production of amyloid precursor protein. The activation of autophagy process was found defective in paraquat-induced cells, indicated by the accumulation and reduction of LC3I/II. Noteworthy, curcumin restored LC3I/II expression after the pretreatment. Collectively, curcumin demonstrated as a prominent suppressor of ROS, and could reverse autophagy induction in SH-SY5Y cells. The consequences of this were the reduction of APP production and prevention of SH-SY5Y cells from apoptosis. Altogether, curcumin potentially serves as a therapeutic agent of neurodegenerative diseases, associated with ROS overproduction and autophagy dysfunction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

TOR-Dependent and -Independent Pathways Regulate Autophagy in Arabidopsis thaliana.

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Pu, Yunting; Luo, Xinjuan; Bassham, Diane C

2017-01-01

Autophagy is a critical process for recycling of cytoplasmic materials during environmental stress, senescence and cellular remodeling. It is upregulated under a wide range of abiotic stress conditions and is important for stress tolerance. Autophagy is repressed by the protein kinase target of rapamycin (TOR), which is activated in response to nutrients and in turn upregulates cell growth and translation and inhibits autophagy. Down-regulation of TOR in Arabidopsis thaliana leads to constitutive autophagy and to decreased growth, but the relationship to stress conditions is unclear. Here, we assess the extent to which TOR controls autophagy activation by abiotic stress. Overexpression of TOR inhibited autophagy activation by nutrient starvation, salt and osmotic stress, indicating that activation of autophagy under these conditions requires down-regulation of TOR activity. In contrast, TOR overexpression had no effect on autophagy induced by oxidative stress or ER stress, suggesting that activation of autophagy by these conditions is independent of TOR function. The plant hormone auxin has been shown previously to up-regulate TOR activity. To confirm the existence of two pathways for activation of autophagy, dependent on the stress conditions, auxin was added exogenously to activate TOR, and the effect on autophagy under different conditions was assessed. Consistent with the effect of TOR overexpression, the addition of the auxin NAA inhibited autophagy during nutrient deficiency, salt and osmotic stress, but not during oxidative or ER stress. NAA treatment was unable to block autophagy induced by a TOR inhibitor or by a mutation in the TOR complex component RAPTOR1B , indicating that auxin is upstream of TOR in the regulation of autophagy. We conclude that repression of auxin-regulated TOR activity is required for autophagy activation in response to a subset of abiotic stress conditions.

Autophagy Proteins in Phagocyte Endocytosis and Exocytosis

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Christian Münz

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Autophagy was initially described as a catabolic pathway that recycles nutrients of cytoplasmic constituents after lysosomal degradation during starvation. Since the immune system monitors products of lysosomal degradation via major histocompatibility complex (MHC class II restricted antigen presentation, autophagy was found to process intracellular antigens for display on MHC class II molecules. In recent years, however, it has become apparent that the molecular machinery of autophagy serves phagocytes in many more membrane trafficking pathways, thereby regulating immunity to infectious disease agents. In this minireview, we will summarize the recent evidence that autophagy proteins regulate phagocyte endocytosis and exocytosis for myeloid cell activation, pathogen replication, and MHC class I and II restricted antigen presentation. Selective stimulation and inhibition of the respective functional modules of the autophagy machinery might constitute valid therapeutic options in the discussed disease settings.

Autophagy and Microglia: Novel Partners in Neurodegeneration and Aging.

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Plaza-Zabala, Ainhoa; Sierra-Torre, Virginia; Sierra, Amanda

2017-03-09

Autophagy is emerging as a core regulator of Central Nervous System (CNS) aging and neurodegeneration. In the brain, it has mostly been studied in neurons, where the delivery of toxic molecules and organelles to the lysosome by autophagy is crucial for neuronal health and survival. However, we propose that the (dys)regulation of autophagy in microglia also affects innate immune functions such as phagocytosis and inflammation, which in turn contribute to the pathophysiology of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we first describe the basic concepts of autophagy and its regulation, discuss key aspects for its accurate monitoring at the experimental level, and summarize the evidence linking autophagy impairment to CNS senescence and disease. We focus on acute, chronic, and autoimmunity-mediated neurodegeneration, including ischemia/stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, and multiple sclerosis. Next, we describe the actual and potential impact of autophagy on microglial phagocytic and inflammatory function. Thus, we provide evidence of how autophagy may affect microglial phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, amyloid-β, synaptic material, and myelin debris, and regulate the progression of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. We also discuss data linking autophagy to the regulation of the microglial inflammatory phenotype, which is known to contribute to age-related brain dysfunction. Overall, we update the current knowledge of autophagy and microglia, and highlight as yet unexplored mechanisms whereby autophagy in microglia may contribute to CNS disease and senescence.

Administration of Ketamine Causes Autophagy and Apoptosis in the Rat Fetal Hippocampus and in PC12 Cells

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Xinran Li

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Drug abuse during pregnancy is a serious problem. Like alcohol, anticonvulsants, sedatives, and anesthetics, such as ketamine, can pass through the placental barrier and affect the growing fetus. However, the mechanism by which ketamine causes damage to fetal rats is not well understood. Therefore, in this study, we anesthetized pregnant rats with ketamine and evaluated the Total Antioxidant Capacity (T-AOC, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS, and Malondialdehyde (MDA. Moreover, we determined changes in the levels of Cleaved-Caspase-3 (C-Caspase-3, Beclin-1, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2, Bcl-2 Associated X Protein (Bax, Autophagy-related gene 4 (Atg4, Atg5, p62 (SQSTM1, and marker of autophagy Light Chain 3 (LC3. In addition, we cultured PC12 cells in vitro to determine the relationship between ROS, autophagy, and apoptosis following ketamine treatment. The results showed that ketamine induced changes in autophagy- and apoptosis-related proteins, reduced T-AOC, and generated excessive levels of ROS and MDA. In vitro experiments showed similar results, indicating that apoptosis levels can be inhibited by 3-MA. We also found that autophagy and apoptosis can be inhibited by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (Nac. Thus, anesthesia with ketamine in pregnant rats may increase the rate of autophagy and apoptosis in the fetal hippocampus and the mechanism may be through inhibition of antioxidant activity and ROS accumulation.

Saturated fatty acid palmitate negatively regulates autophagy by promoting ATG5 protein degradation in meniscus cells.

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Mallik, Aritra; Yammani, Raghunatha R

2018-07-20

Obesity and associated metabolic factors are major risk factors for the development of osteoarthritis. Previously, we have shown that the free fatty acid palmitate induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and induces apoptosis in meniscus cells. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in these effects are not clearly understood. In our current study, we found that palmitate inhibits autophagy by modulating the protein levels of autophagy-related genes-5 (ATG5) that is associated with decreased lipidation of LC3 and increased activation of cleaved caspase 3. Pretreatment of meniscus cells with 4-phenyl butyric acid, a small molecule chemical chaperone that alleviates ER stress, or with MG-132, a proteasome inhibitor, restored normal levels of ATG5 and autophagosome formation, and decreased expression of cleaved caspase 3. Thus, our data suggest that palmitate downregulates autophagy in meniscus cells by degrading ATG5 protein via ER-associated protein degradation, and thus promotes apoptosis. This is the first study to demonstrate that palmitate-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress negatively regulates autophagy. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GAIP interacting protein C-terminus regulates autophagy and exosome biogenesis of pancreatic cancer through metabolic pathways.

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Santanu Bhattacharya

Full Text Available GAIP interacting protein C terminus (GIPC is known to play an important role in a variety of physiological and disease states. In the present study, we have identified a novel role for GIPC as a master regulator of autophagy and the exocytotic pathways in cancer. We show that depletion of GIPC-induced autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells, as evident from the upregulation of the autophagy marker LC3II. We further report that GIPC regulates cellular trafficking pathways by modulating the secretion, biogenesis, and molecular composition of exosomes. We also identified the involvement of GIPC on metabolic stress pathways regulating autophagy and microvesicular shedding, and observed that GIPC status determines the loading of cellular cargo in the exosome. Furthermore, we have shown the overexpression of the drug resistance gene ABCG2 in exosomes from GIPC-depleted pancreatic cancer cells. We also demonstrated that depletion of GIPC from cancer cells sensitized them to gemcitabine treatment, an avenue that can be explored as a potential therapeutic strategy to overcome drug resistance in cancer.

C-myb Regulates Autophagy for Pulp Vitality in Glucose Oxidative Stress.

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Lee, Y H; Kim, H S; Kim, J S; Yu, M K; Cho, S D; Jeon, J G; Yi, H K

2016-04-01

Diabetes mellitus is closely related to oral-complicated diseases by oxidative stress. This study investigates whether cellular myeloblastosis (c-myb) could protect human dental pulp cells against glucose oxidative stress and regulate autophagy activity for pulp vitality. Diabetes mellitus was induced by streptozotocin in Sprague-Dawley rats, and their pulp tissue in teeth was analyzed in terms of pulp cavity and molecules by hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemistry staining. Human dental pulp cells were serially subcultured and treated with glucose oxidase in the presence of elevated glucose to generate glucose oxidative stress. The replication-deficient adenovirus c-myb and small interfering RNA c-myb were introduced for c-myb expression. The pulp tissue from the diabetic rats was structurally different from normal tissue in terms of narrow pulp capacity, reduced c-myb, and dentinogenesis molecules. Glucose oxidase treatment decreased c-myb and dentinogenesis molecules (bone morphogenetic protein 2 and 7, dentin matrix protein 1, and dentin sialophosphoprotein) in human dental pulp cells. However, overexpression of c-myb by adenovirus c-myb increased dentinogenesis, autophagy molecules (autophagy protein 5, microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3, and Beclin-1), and cell survival via p-AMPK/AKT signaling even with glucose oxidative stress. In contrast, the lack of c-myb decreased the above molecules and cell survival by downregulating p-AMPK/AKT signaling. The results indicate that diabetes leads to irreversible damage to dental pulp, which is related to downexpression of autophagy via the p-AMPK/AKT pathway by decline of c-myb. The findings of this study provide a new insight that c-myb could ameliorate autophagy activity and that it is applicable for monitoring complicated diseases of dental pulp. The involvement of c-myb in pulp pathology could serve a therapeutic target in oral-complicated diseases. © International & American Associations

Brain aging and Aβ₁₋₄₂ neurotoxicity converge via deterioration in autophagy-lysosomal system: a conditional Drosophila model linking Alzheimer's neurodegeneration with aging.

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Ling, Daijun; Salvaterra, Paul M

2011-02-01

Aging is known to be the most prominent risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the underlying mechanism linking brain aging with AD pathogenesis remains unknown. The expression of human amyloid beta 42 peptide (Aβ₁₋₄₂), but not Aβ₁₋₄₀ in Drosophila brain induces an early onset and progressive autophagy-lysosomal neuropathology. Here we show that the natural process of brain aging also accompanies a chronic and late-onset deterioration of neuronal autophagy-lysosomal system. This process is characterized by accumulation of dysfunctional autophagy-lysosomal vesicles, a compromise of these vesicles leading to damage of intracellular membranes and organelles, necrotic-like intraneuronal destruction and neurodegeneration. In addition, conditional activation of neuronal autophagy in young animals is protective while late activation is deleterious for survival. Intriguingly, conditional Aβ₁₋₄₂ expression limited to young animals exacerbates the aging process to a greater extent than Aβ₁₋₄₂ expression in old animals. These data suggest that the neuronal autophagy-lysosomal system may shift from a functional and protective state to a pathological and deleterious state either during brain aging or via Aβ₁₋₄₂ neurotoxicity. A chronic deterioration of the neuronal autophagy-lysosomal system is likely to be a key event in transitioning from normal brain aging to pathological aging leading to Alzheimer's neurodegeneration.

The cooperation between the autophagy machinery and the inflammasome to implement an appropriate innate immune response: do they regulate each other?

OpenAIRE

Abdelaziz, Dalia H. A.; Khalil, Hany; Cormet-Boyaka, Estelle; Amer, Amal O.

2015-01-01

Autophagy is originally described as the main catabolic pathway responsible for maintaining intracellular nutritional homeosta-sis that involves the formation of a unique vacuole, the autophago-some, and the interaction with the endosome-lysosome pathways. This conserved machinery plays a key role in immune-protection against different invaders, including pathogenic bacteria, intracellular parasites, and some viruses like herpes simplex and hepatitis C virus. Importantly, autophagy is linked ...

Autophagy is induced by resistance exercise in young men but unfolded protein response is induced regardless of age.

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Hentilä, Jaakko; Ahtiainen, Juha P; Paulsen, Gøran; Raastad, Truls; Häkkinen, Keijo; Mero, Antti A; Hulmi, Juha J

2018-04-02

Autophagy and unfolded protein response (UPR) appear to be important for skeletal muscle homeostasis and may be altered by exercise. Our aim was to investigate the effects of resistance exercise and training on indicators of UPR and autophagy in healthy untrained young men (n = 12, 27 ± 4 years) and older men (n = 8, 61 ± 6 years) as well as in resistance-trained individuals (n = 15, 25 ± 5 years). Indicators of autophagy and UPR were investigated from the muscle biopsies after a single resistance exercise bout and after 21 weeks of resistance training. Lipidated LC3II as an indicator of autophagosome content increased at 48 hours post resistance exercise (P resistance-training period (P resistance exercise in untrained young and older men (P resistance-training period regardless of age. UPR was unchanged within the first few hours after the resistance exercise bout regardless of the training status. Changes in autophagy and UPR ER indicators did not correlate with a resistance-training-induced increase in muscle strength and size. Autophagosome content is increased by resistance training in young previously untrained men, but this response may be blunted by aging. However, unfolded protein response is induced by an unaccustomed resistance exercise bout in a delayed manner regardless of age. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Autophagy Facilitates Salmonella Replication in HeLa Cells

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Yu, Hong B.; Croxen, Matthew A.; Marchiando, Amanda M.; Ferreira, Rosana B. R.; Cadwell, Ken; Foster, Leonard J.; Finlay, B. Brett

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Autophagy is a process whereby a double-membrane structure (autophagosome) engulfs unnecessary cytosolic proteins, organelles, and invading pathogens and delivers them to the lysosome for degradation. We examined the fate of cytosolic Salmonella targeted by autophagy and found that autophagy-targeted Salmonella present in the cytosol of HeLa cells correlates with intracellular bacterial replication. Real-time analyses revealed that a subset of cytosolic Salmonella extensively associates with autophagy components p62 and/or LC3 and replicates quickly, whereas intravacuolar Salmonella shows no or very limited association with p62 or LC3 and replicates much more slowly. Replication of cytosolic Salmonella in HeLa cells is significantly decreased when autophagy components are depleted. Eventually, hyperreplication of cytosolic Salmonella potentiates cell detachment, facilitating the dissemination of Salmonella to neighboring cells. We propose that Salmonella benefits from autophagy for its cytosolic replication in HeLa cells. PMID:24618251

Neither eosinophils nor neutrophils require ATG5-dependent autophagy for extracellular DNA trap formation.

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Germic, Nina; Stojkov, Darko; Oberson, Kevin; Yousefi, Shida; Simon, Hans-Uwe

2017-11-01

The importance of extracellular traps (ETs) in innate immunity is well established, but the molecular mechanisms responsible for their formation remain unclear and in scientific dispute. ETs have been defined as extracellular DNA scaffolds associated with the granule proteins of eosinophils or neutrophils. They are capable of killing bacteria extracellularly. Based mainly on results with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors such as 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and wortmannin, which are commonly used to inhibit autophagy, several groups have reported that autophagy is required for neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. We decided to investigate this apparent dependence on autophagy for ET release and generated genetically modified mice that lack, specifically in eosinophils or neutrophils, autophagy-related 5 (Atg5), a gene encoding a protein essential for autophagosome formation. Interestingly, neither eosinophils nor neutrophils from Atg5-deficient mice exhibited abnormalities in ET formation upon physiological activation or exposure to low concentrations of PMA, although we could confirm that human and mouse eosinophils and neutrophils, after pre-treatment with inhibitors of class III PI3K, show a block both in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and in ET formation. The so-called late autophagy inhibitors bafilomycin A1 and chloroquine, on the other hand, were without effect. These data indicate that ET formation occurs independently of autophagy and that the inhibition of ROS production and ET formation in the presence of 3-MA and wortmannin is probably owing to their additional ability to block the class I PI3Ks, which are involved in signalling cascades initiated by triggers of ET formation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gadd45b prevents autophagy and apoptosis against rat cerebral neuron oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury.

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He, Guoqian; Xu, Wenming; Tong, Linyan; Li, Shuaishuai; Su, Shiceng; Tan, Xiaodan; Li, Changqing

2016-04-01

Autophagic (type II) cell death has been suggested to play pathogenetic roles in cerebral ischemia. Growth arrest and DNA damage response 45b (Gadd45b) has been shown to protect against rat brain ischemia injury through inhibiting apoptosis. However, the relationship between Gadd45b and autophagy in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Gadd45b on autophagy. We adopt the oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) model of rat primary cortex neurons, and lentivirus interference used to silence Gadd45b expression. Cell viability and injury assay were performed using CCK-8 and LDH kit. Autophagy activation was monitored by expression of ATG5, LC3, Beclin-1, ATG7 and ATG3. Neuron apoptosis was monitored by expression of Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase3, p53 and TUNEL assay. Neuron neurites were assayed by double immunofluorescent labeling with Tuj1 and LC3B. Here, we demonstrated that the expression of Gadd45b was strongly up-regulated at 24 h after 3 h OGD treatment. ShRNA-Gadd45b increased the expression of autophagy related proteins, aggravated OGD/R-induced neuron cell apoptosis and neurites injury. ShRNA-Gadd45b co-treatment with autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or Wortmannin partly inhibited the ratio of LC3II/LC3I, and slightly ameliorated neuron cell apoptosis under OGD/R. Furthermore, shRNA-Gadd45b inhibited the p-p38 level involved in autophagy, but increased the p-JNK level involved in apoptosis. ShRNA-Gadd45b co-treatment with p38 inhibitor obviously induced autophagy. ShRNA-Gadd45b co-treatment with JNK inhibitor alleviated neuron cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our data suggested that Gadd45b inhibited autophagy and apoptosis under OGD/R. Gadd45b may be a common regulatory protein to control autophagy and apoptosis.

Does autophagy work in synaptic plasticity and memory?

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Shehata, Mohammad; Inokuchi, Kaoru

2014-01-01

Many studies have reported the roles played by regulated proteolysis in neural plasticity and memory. Within this context, most of the research focused on the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the endosome-lysosome system while giving lesser consideration to another major protein degradation system, namely, autophagy. Although autophagy intersects with many of the pathways known to underlie synaptic plasticity and memory, only few reports related autophagy to synaptic remodeling. These pathways include PI3K-mTOR pathway and endosome-dependent proteolysis. In this review, we will discuss several lines of evidence supporting a physiological role of autophagy in memory processes, and the possible mechanistic scenarios for how autophagy could fulfill this function.

Modulation of Autophagy-Like Processes by Tumor Viruses

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Karl Munger

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Autophagy is an intracellular degradation pathway for long-lived proteins and organelles. This process is activated above basal levels upon cell intrinsic or environmental stress and dysregulation of autophagy has been linked to various human diseases, including those caused by viral infection. Many viruses have evolved strategies to directly interfere with autophagy, presumably to facilitate their replication or to escape immune detection. However, in some cases, modulation of autophagy appears to be a consequence of the virus disturbing the cell’s metabolic signaling networks. Here, we summarize recent advances in research at the interface of autophagy and viral infection, paying special attention to strategies that human tumor viruses have evolved.

Spliced XBP1 promotes macrophage survival and autophagy by interacting with Beclin-1

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Tian, Ping-Ge [Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515 (China); Jiang, Zhi-Xin [Centre Laboratory, The 305th Hospital of the People' s Liberation Army, Beijing 100017 (China); Li, Jian-Hua [Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hosptial, Beijing 100853 (China); Zhou, Zhe, E-mail: zhouzhe76@126.com [Laboratory of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850 (China); Zhang, Qing-Hua, E-mail: 1056055170@qq.com [Department of Cardiology, The 305th Hospital of the People' s Liberation Army, Beijing 100017 (China)

2015-08-07

Macrophage autophagy plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis, but the precise mechanism mediating this process is unclear. The potential role of the X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), a crucial transduction factor that is involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response, in bone marrow-derived macrophage autophagy is unknown. This study mainly explores the roles of XBP1 mRNA splicing in bone marrow-derived macrophage autophagy. The present study shows that the transient overexpression of spliced XBP1 via adenovirus-mediated gene transfer induces autophagy and promotes proliferation in bone marrow-derived macrophages via the down-regulation of Beclin-1, but that the sustained overexpression of spliced XBP1 leads to apoptosis. When XBP1 is down-regulated in bone marrow-derived macrophages using siRNA, rapamycin-induced autophagosome formation is ablated. Furthermore, we have detected the overexpression of XBP1 in areas of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries of ApoE−/− mice. These results demonstrate that XBP1 mRNA splicing plays an important role in maintaining the function of bone marrow-derived macrophages and provide new insight into the study and treatment of atherosclerosis. - Highlights: • XBP1 was up-regulated in atherosclerotic plaques of ApoE−/− mice. • Transient spliced XBP1 overexpression induced macrophages autophagy via Beclin-1. • Sustained spliced XBP1 overexpression triggered macrophages apoptosis. • Spliced XBP1 plays a key role in maintaining the macrophages survival.

PICALM modulates autophagy activity and tau accumulation

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Moreau, Kevin; Fleming, Angeleen; Imarisio, Sara; Lopez Ramirez, Ana; Mercer, Jacob L.; Jimenez-Sanchez, Maria; Bento, Carla F.; Puri, Claudia; Zavodszky, Eszter; Siddiqi, Farah; Lavau, Catherine P.; Betton, Maureen; O’Kane, Cahir J.; Wechsler, Daniel S.; Rubinsztein, David C.

2014-01-01

Genome-wide association studies have identified several loci associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including proteins involved in endocytic trafficking such as PICALM/CALM (phosphatidylinositol binding clathrin assembly protein). It is unclear how these loci may contribute to AD pathology. Here we show that CALM modulates autophagy and alters clearance of tau, a protein which is a known autophagy substrate and which is causatively linked to AD, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, altered CALM expression exacerbates tau-mediated toxicity in zebrafish transgenic models. CALM influences autophagy by regulating the endocytosis of SNAREs, such as VAMP2, VAMP3 and VAMP8, which have diverse effects on different stages of the autophagy pathway, from autophagosome formation to autophagosome degradation. This study suggests that the AD genetic risk factor CALM modulates autophagy, and this may affect disease in a number of ways including modulation of tau turnover. PMID:25241929

Impairment of autophagy: From hereditary disorder to drug intoxication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aki, Toshihiko; Funakoshi, Takeshi; Unuma, Kana; Uemura, Koichi

2013-01-01

At first, the molecular mechanism of autophagy was unveiled in a unicellular organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast), followed by the discovery that the basic mechanism of autophagy is conserved in multicellular organisms including mammals. Although autophagy was considered to be a non-selective bulk protein degradation system to recycle amino acids during periods of nutrient starvation, it is also believed to be an essential mechanism for the selective elimination of proteins/organelles that are damaged under pathological conditions. Research advances made using autophagy-deficient animals have revealed that impairments of autophagy often underlie the pathogenesis of hereditary disorders such as Danon, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. On the other hand, there are many reports that drugs and toxicants, including arsenic, cadmium, paraquat, methamphetamine, and ethanol, induce autophagy during the development of their toxicity on many organs including heart, brain, lung, kidney, and liver. Although the question as to whether autophagic machinery is involved in the execution of cell death or not remains controversial, the current view of the role of autophagy during cell/tissue injury is that it is an important, often essential, cytoprotective reaction; disturbances in cytoprotective autophagy aggravate cell/tissue injuries. The purpose of this review is to provide (1) a gross summarization of autophagy processes, which are becoming more important in the field of toxicology, and (2) examples of important studies reporting the involvement of perturbations in autophagy in cell/tissue injuries caused by acute as well as chronic intoxication

Mutant p53 protein localized in the cytoplasm inhibits autophagy.

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Morselli, Eugenia; Tasdemir, Ezgi; Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Kepp, Oliver; Criollo, Alfredo; Vicencio, José Miguel; Soussi, Thierry; Kroemer, Guido

2008-10-01

The knockout, knockdown or chemical inhibition of p53 stimulates autophagy. Moreover, autophagy-inducing stimuli such as nutrient depletion, rapamycin or lithium cause the depletion of cytoplasmic p53, which in turn is required for the induction of autophagy. Here, we show that retransfection of p53(-/-) HCT 116 colon carcinoma cells with wild type p53 decreases autophagy down to baseline levels. Surprisingly, one third among a panel of 22 cancer-associated p53 single amino acid mutants also inhibited autophagy when transfected into p53(-/-) cells. Those variants of p53 that preferentially localize to the cytoplasm effectively repressed autophagy, whereas p53 mutants that display a prominently nuclear distribution failed to inhibit autophagy. The investigation of a series of deletion mutants revealed that removal of the DNA-binding domain from p53 fails to interfere with its role in the regulation of autophagy. Altogether, these results identify the cytoplasmic localization of p53 as the most important feature for p53-mediated autophagy inhibition. Moreover, the structural requirements for the two biological activities of extranuclear p53, namely induction of apoptosis and inhibition of autophagy, are manifestly different.

Role of autophagy in development and progression of acute pancreatitis

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YANG Shuli

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Acute pancreatitis is considered an autodigestive disorder in which inappropriate activation of trypsinogen to trypsin within pancreatic acinar cells leads to the development of pancreatitis. Autophagy is an evolutionarily preserved degradation process of cytoplasmic cellular constituents, and it is one of the early pathological processes in acute pancreatitis. Autophagic flux is impaired in acute pancreatitis, which mediates the key pathologic responses of this disease. Impaired autophagy, dysfunction of lysosomes, and dysregulation of autophagy suggest a disorder of the endolysosomal pathway in acute pancreatitis. The role of autophagy in acute pancreatitis is discussed from the aspects of autophagic process, autophagy and activation of trypsinogen, impaired autophagy and acute pancreatitis, and defective autophagy promoting inflammation.

Methods for assessing autophagy and autophagic cell death.

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Tasdemir, Ezgi; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Maiuri, M Chiara; Criollo, Alfredo; Vitale, Ilio; Hangen, Emilie; Modjtahedi, Nazanine; Kroemer, Guido

2008-01-01

Autophagic (or type 2) cell death is characterized by the massive accumulation of autophagic vacuoles (autophagosomes) in the cytoplasm of cells that lack signs of apoptosis (type 1 cell death). Here we detail and critically assess a series of methods to promote and inhibit autophagy via pharmacological and genetic manipulations. We also review the techniques currently available to detect autophagy, including transmission electron microscopy, half-life assessments of long-lived proteins, detection of LC3 maturation/aggregation, fluorescence microscopy, and colocalization of mitochondrion- or endoplasmic reticulum-specific markers with lysosomal proteins. Massive autophagic vacuolization may cause cellular stress and represent a frustrated attempt of adaptation. In this case, cell death occurs with (or in spite of) autophagy. When cell death occurs through autophagy, on the contrary, the inhibition of the autophagic process should prevent cellular demise. Accordingly, we describe a strategy for discriminating cell death with autophagy from cell death through autophagy.

Autophagy in human embryonic stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tra, Thien; Gong, Lan; Kao, Lin-Pin; Li, Xue-Lei; Grandela, Catarina; Devenish, Rodney J.; Wolvetang, Ernst; Prescott, Mark

2011-01-01

Autophagy (macroautophagy) is a degradative process that involves the sequestration of cytosolic material including organelles into double membrane vesicles termed autophagosomes for delivery to the lysosome. Autophagy is essential for preimplantation development of mouse embryos and cavitation of

Induction of cytoprotective autophagy in PC-12 cells by cadmium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qiwen; Zhu, Jiaqiao; Zhang, Kangbao; Jiang, Chenyang; Wang, Yi; Yuan, Yan; Bian, Jianchun; Liu, Xuezhong; Gu, Jianhong; Liu, Zongping

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Cadmium can promote early upregulation of autophagy in PC-12 cells. •Autophagy precedes apoptosis in cadmium-treated PC-12 cells. •Cadmium-induced autophagy is cytoprotective in PC-12 cells. •Class III PI3K/beclin-1/Bcl-2 signaling pathway plays a positive role in cadmium-triggered autophagy. -- Abstract: Laboratory data have demonstrated that cadmium (Cd) may induce neuronal apoptosis. However, little is known about the role of autophagy in neurons. In this study, cell viability decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner after treatment with Cd in PC-12 cells. As cells were exposed to Cd, the levels of LC3-II proteins became elevated, specific punctate distribution of endogenous LC3-II increased, and numerous autophagosomes appeared, which suggest that Cd induced a high level of autophagy. In the late stages of autophagy, an increase in the apoptosis ratio was observed. Likewise, pre-treatment with chloroquine (an autophagic inhibitor) and rapamycin (an autophagic inducer) resulted in an increased and decreased percentage of apoptosis in contrast to other Cd-treated groups, respectively. The results indicate that autophagy delayed apoptosis in Cd-treated PC-12 cells. Furthermore, co-treatment of cells with chloroquine reduced autophagy and cell activity. However, rapamycin had an opposite effect on autophagy and cell activity. Moreover, class III PI3 K/beclin-1/Bcl-2 signaling pathways served a function in Cd-induced autophagy. The findings suggest that Cd can induce cytoprotective autophagy by activating class III PI3 K/beclin-1/Bcl-2 signaling pathways. In sum, this study strongly suggests that autophagy may serve a positive function in the reduction of Cd-induced cytotoxicity

ER stress, autophagy, and RNA viruses

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Jia-Rong eJheng

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress is a general term for representing the pathway by which various stimuli affect ER functions. ER stress induces the evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways, called the unfolded protein response (UPR, which compromises the stimulus and then determines whether the cell survives or dies. In recent years, ongoing research has suggested that these pathways may be linked to the autophagic response, which plays a key role in the cell’s response to various stressors. Autophagy performs a self-digestion function, and its activation protects cells against certain pathogens. However, the link between the UPR and autophagy may be more complicated. These two systems may act dependently, or the induction of one system may interfere with the other. Experimental studies have found that different viruses modulate these mechanisms to allow them to escape the host immune response or, worse, to exploit the host’s defense to their advantage; thus, this topic is a critical area in antiviral research. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about how RNA viruses, including influenza virus, poliovirus, coxsackievirus, enterovirus 71, Japanese encephalitis virus, hepatitis C virus, and dengue virus, regulate these processes. We also discuss recent discoveries and how these will produce novel strategies for antiviral treatment.

Lack of collagen VI promotes neurodegeneration by impairing autophagy and inducing apoptosis during aging.

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Cescon, Matilde; Chen, Peiwen; Castagnaro, Silvia; Gregorio, Ilaria; Bonaldo, Paolo

2016-05-01

Collagen VI is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein with a broad distribution in different tissues and mostly deposited at the close periphery of the cell surface. Previous studies revealed that collagen VI protects neurons from the toxicity of amyloid-βpeptides and from UV-induced damage. However, the physiological role of this protein in the central nervous system (CNS) remains unknown. Here, we established primary neural cultures from murine cortex and hippocampus, and carried out in vitro and in vivo studies in wild-type and collagen VI null (Col6a1-/-) mice. Col6a1-/- neural cultures displayed an increased incidence of spontaneous apoptosis and higher vulnerability to oxidative stress, accompanied by altered regulation of autophagy with increased p62 protein levels and decreased LC3 lipidation. Analysis of brain sections confirmed increased apoptosis and abnormal regulation of autophagy in the CNS of collagen VI-deficient animals. To investigate the in vivo physiological consequences of these CNS defects, we carried out functional studies and found that motor and memory task performances were impaired in aged Col6a1-/-mice. These findings indicate that lack of collagen VI leads to spontaneous apoptosis and defective autophagy in neural cells, and point at a protective role for this ECM protein in the CNS during physiological aging.

Parkinson disease: a role for autophagy?

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Yang, Qian; Mao, Zixu

2010-08-01

Autophagy is a term used to describe the process by which lysosomes degrade intracellular components. Known originally as an adaptive response to nutrient deprivation, autophagy has now been recognized to play important roles in several human disorders including neurodegenerative diseases. Experimental results from genetic, cellular, and toxicological studies indicate that many of the etiological factors associated with Parkinson disease (PD) can perturb the autophagic process in various model systems. Thus, the emerging data support the view that dysregulation of autophagy may play a critical role in the pathogenic process of PD.

Autophagy in the immune response to tuberculosis: clinical perspectives.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ní Cheallaigh, C

2011-06-01

A growing body of evidence points to autophagy as an essential component in the immune response to tuberculosis. Autophagy is a direct mechanism of killing intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis and also acts as a modulator of proinflammatory cytokine secretion. In addition, autophagy plays a key role in antigen processing and presentation. Autophagy is modulated by cytokines; it is stimulated by T helper type 1 (Th1) cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ, and is inhibited by the Th2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Vitamin D, via cathelicidin, can also induce autophagy, as can Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated signals. Autophagy-promoting agents, administered either locally to the lungs or systemically, could have a clinical application as adjunctive treatment of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive tuberculosis. Moreover, vaccines which effectively induce autophagy could be more successful in preventing acquisition or reactivation of latent tuberculosis.

Autophagy mediates pharmacological lifespan extension by spermidine and resveratrol.

Science.gov (United States)

Morselli, Eugenia; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Kepp, Oliver; Criollo, Alfredo; Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Madeo, Frank; Kroemer, Guido

2009-12-23

Although autophagy has widely been conceived as a self-destructive mechanism that causes cell death, accumulating evidence suggests that autophagy usually mediates cytoprotection, thereby avoiding the apoptotic or necrotic demise of stressed cells. Recent evidence produced by our groups demonstrates that autophagy is also involved in pharmacological manipulations that increase longevity. Exogenous supply of the polyamine spermidine can prolong the lifespan of (while inducing autophagy in) yeast, nematodes and flies. Similarly, resveratrol can trigger autophagy in cells from different organisms, extend lifespan in nematodes, and ameliorate the fitness of human cells undergoing metabolic stress. These beneficial effects are lost when essential autophagy modulators are genetically or pharmacologically inactivated, indicating that autophagy is required for the cytoprotective and/or anti-aging effects of spermidine and resveratrol. Genetic and functional studies indicate that spermidine inhibits histone acetylases, while resveratrol activates the histone deacetylase Sirtuin 1 to confer cytoprotection/longevity. Although it remains elusive whether the same histones (or perhaps other nuclear or cytoplasmic proteins) act as the downstream targets of spermidine and resveratrol, these results point to an essential role of protein hypoacetylation in autophagy control and in the regulation of longevity.

Autophagy in the control of food intake

OpenAIRE

Singh, Rajat

2012-01-01

The cellular nutrient sensing apparatus detects nutritional depletion and transmits this information to downstream effectors that generate energy from alternate sources. Autophagy is a crucial catabolic pathway that turns over redundant cytoplasmic components in lysosomes to provide energy to the starved cell. Recent studies have described a role for hypothalamic autophagy in the control of food intake and energy balance. Activated autophagy in hypothalamic neurons during starvation mobilized...

The Mucosal Immune System and Its Regulation by Autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabat, Agnieszka M; Pott, Johanna; Maloy, Kevin J

2016-01-01

The gastrointestinal tract presents a unique challenge to the mucosal immune system, which has to constantly monitor the vast surface for the presence of pathogens, while at the same time maintaining tolerance to beneficial or innocuous antigens. In the intestinal mucosa, specialized innate and adaptive immune components participate in directing appropriate immune responses toward these diverse challenges. Recent studies provide compelling evidence that the process of autophagy influences several aspects of mucosal immune responses. Initially described as a "self-eating" survival pathway that enables nutrient recycling during starvation, autophagy has now been connected to multiple cellular responses, including several aspects of immunity. Initial links between autophagy and host immunity came from the observations that autophagy can target intracellular bacteria for degradation. However, subsequent studies indicated that autophagy plays a much broader role in immune responses, as it can impact antigen processing, thymic selection, lymphocyte homeostasis, and the regulation of immunoglobulin and cytokine secretion. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of mucosal immune cells and discuss how autophagy influences many aspects of their physiology and function. We focus on cell type-specific roles of autophagy in the gut, with a particular emphasis on the effects of autophagy on the intestinal T cell compartment. We also provide a perspective on how manipulation of autophagy may potentially be used to treat mucosal inflammatory disorders.

The cardioprotective effect of thymoquinone on ischemia-reperfusion injury in isolated rat heart via regulation of apoptosis and autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Junhui; Ke, Zun-Ping; Shi, Yan; Zeng, Qiutang; Cao, Zhe

2018-06-22

Thymoquinone (TQ), as the active constituents of black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed oil, has been reported to have potential protective effects on the cardiovascular system. This study aimed to investigate the effects and the underlying mechanisms of TQ on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Wister rat hearts were subjected to I/R and the experimental group were pretreated with TQ prior to I/R. Hemodynamic parameters, myocardial infarct size, cardiac marker enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were assayed. Compared with the untreated group, TQ preconditioning significantly improved cardiac function, reduced infarct size, decreased cardiac lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) levels, suppressed enedoxidative stress, and apoptosis. In addition, TQ treatment promoted autophagy, which was partially reversed by chloroquine (CQ), a kind of autophagy blocker. Our study suggests that TQ can protect heart against I/R injury, which is associated with anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic effects through activation of autophagy. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Autophagy and Retromer Components in Plant Innate Immunity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munch, David

-hormone salicylic acid. Here, I present data that make it clear that NPR1 does not directly regulate autophagy, but instead control stress responses that indirectly activate autophagy. The observations presented will also clarify why autophagy has been described as being both a pro-death and pro-life pathway under...

Are mitochondrial reactive oxygen species required for autophagy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Jianfei; Maeda, Akihiro; Ji, Jing; Baty, Catherine J.; Watkins, Simon C.; Greenberger, Joel S.; Kagan, Valerian E.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Autophageal and apoptotic pathways were dissected in cytochrome c deficient cells. → Staurosporine (STS)-induced autophagy was not accompanied by ROS generation. → Autophagy was detectable in mitochondrial DNA deficient ρ 0 cells. → Mitochondrial ROS are not required for the STS-induced autophagy in HeLa cells. -- Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are said to participate in the autophagy signaling. Supporting evidence is obscured by interference of autophagy and apoptosis, whereby the latter heavily relies on ROS signaling. To dissect autophagy from apoptosis we knocked down expression of cytochrome c, the key component of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, in HeLa cells using shRNA. In cytochrome c deficient HeLa1.2 cells, electron transport was compromised due to the lack of electron shuttle between mitochondrial respiratory complexes III and IV. A rapid and robust LC3-I/II conversion and mitochondria degradation were observed in HeLa1.2 cells treated with staurosporine (STS). Neither generation of superoxide nor accumulation of H 2 O 2 was detected in STS-treated HeLa1.2 cells. A membrane permeable antioxidant, PEG-SOD, plus catalase exerted no effect on STS-induced LC3-I/II conversion and mitochondria degradation. Further, STS caused autophagy in mitochondria DNA-deficient ρ o HeLa1.2 cells in which both electron transport and ROS generation were completely disrupted. Counter to the widespread view, we conclude that mitochondrial ROS are not required for the induction of autophagy.

ATM kinase sustains breast cancer stem-like cells by promoting ATG4C expression and autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonelli, Martina; Strappazzon, Flavie; Arisi, Ivan; Brandi, Rossella; D'Onofrio, Mara; Sambucci, Manolo; Manic, Gwenola; Vitale, Ilio; Barilà, Daniela; Stagni, Venturina

2017-03-28

The efficacy of Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) kinase signalling inhibition in cancer therapy is tempered by the identification of new emerging functions of ATM, which suggests that the role of this protein in cancer progression is complex. We recently demonstrated that this tumor suppressor gene could act as tumor promoting factor in HER2 (Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2) positive breast cancer. Herein we put in evidence that ATM expression sustains the proportion of cells with a stem-like phenotype, measured as the capability to form mammospheres, independently of HER2 expression levels. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that, in mammospheres, ATM modulates the expression of cell cycle-, DNA repair- and autophagy-related genes. Among these, the silencing of the autophagic gene, autophagy related 4C cysteine peptidase (ATG4C), impairs mammosphere formation similarly to ATM depletion. Conversely, ATG4C ectopic expression in cells silenced for ATM expression, rescues mammospheres growth. Finally, tumor array analyses, performed using public data, identify a significant correlation between ATM and ATG4C expression levels in all human breast cancer subtypes, except for the basal-like one.Overall, we uncover a new connection between ATM kinase and autophagy regulation in breast cancer. We demonstrate that, in breast cancer cells, ATM and ATG4C are essential drivers of mammosphere formation, suggesting that their targeting may improve current approaches to eradicate breast cancer cells with a stem-like phenotype.

Activated cathepsin L is associated with the switch from autophagy to apoptotic death of SH-SY5Y cells exposed to 6-hydroxydopamine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Lingyun, E-mail: lingyunlee@126.com [Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Experimental Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004 (China); Gao, Luyan [Experimental Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004 (China); Song, Yunzhen; Qin, Zheng-Hong [Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Liang, Zhongqin, E-mail: liangzhongqin@suda.edu.cn [Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

2016-02-12

Autophagy and apoptosis are common responses to pathological damage in the process of Parkinson's disease (PD), and lysosome dysfunction may contribute to the etiology of PD's neurodegenerative process. In this study, we demonstrated that the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) increased autophagy in SH-SY5Y cells, as determined by detection of the lysosome marker lysosomal-associated membrane protein1, the autophagy protein light chain 3 (LC3)-II and the autophagy substrate P62 protein. Meanwhile, autophagy repression with 3-methyladenine accelerated the activation of caspase-3 and PARP and aggravated the cell apoptotic death induced by 6-OHDA. Furthermore, we found that 6-OHDA treatment resulted in a transient increase in the intracellular and nuclear expression of cathepsin L (CTSL). The CTSL inhibitor, Z-FY-CHO, could promote autophagy, decrease accumulation of P62, and block activation of caspase-3 and PARP. Taken together, these results suggest that activation of autophagy may primarily be a protective process in SH-SY5Y cell death induced by 6-OHDA, and the nuclear translocation of CTSL could enhance the cell apoptotic cascade via disturbing autophagy-apoptotic systems in SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings highlight the potential role of CTSL in the cross talk between autophagy and apoptosis, which might be considered a therapeutic strategy for treatment of pathologic conditions associated with neurodegeneration. - Highlights: • Inhibition of autophagy aggravated the cell apoptotic death in SH-SY5Y cells. • Activation of cathepsin L impaired the autophagy pathway. • Activation of cathepsin L enhanced the cell apoptotic cascade. • Cathepsin L involves in the cross talk between autophagy and apoptosis.

Chloroquine enhances the efficacy of cisplatin by suppressing autophagy in human adrenocortical carcinoma treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qin L

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Liang Qin,1,* Tianyuan Xu,1,* Leilei Xia,1 Xianjin Wang,1 Xiang Zhang,1 Xiaohua Zhang,1 Zhaowei Zhu,1 Shan Zhong,1 Chuandong Wang,2 Zhoujun Shen1 1Department of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 2Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: It has been demonstrated that chloroquine (CQ enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy. However, little is known about whether CQ could enhance the efficacy of cisplatin (DDP in the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC. In this study, we explore the efficacy and mechanism by which CQ affects DDP sensitivity in human ACC in vitro and in vivo.Methods: The autophagic gene Beclin-1 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the protein levels were analyzed using immunoblotting assays of ACC tissues and normal adrenal cortex tissues. The ACC SW13 cells were treated with DDP and/or CQ. The cell viability assay was performed using the MTT method. Qualitative autophagy detection was performed by monodansylcadaverine staining of autophagic vacuoles. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double staining was used to count cell apoptosis by flow cytometry. The autophagy-related protein (Beclin-1, LC3, and p62 and apoptosis relative protein (Bax and Bcl-2 levels were evaluated with Western blot analysis. Furthermore, a murine model of nude BALB/c mice bearing SW13 cell xenografts was established to evaluate the efficacy of concomitant therapy.Results: The expression of the autophagic gene Beclin-1 was significantly downregulated in ACC tissues compared to normal adrenal cortex tissues. The Beclin-1 protein level in ACC tissues was lower than that in normal adrenal cortex tissues (P<0.05. In vitro concomitant therapy (DDP and CQ was more

The Scope of Gene Patent Protection and the TRIPS Agreement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, Tine

2007-01-01

The Scope of Gene Patent Protection and the TRIPS Agreement - An Exclusively Nondiscriminatory Approach?   Gene patenting in Europe has provoked much debate both before and since the adoption of Directive 98/44/EC on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions. Some of the major points...... of discussion have been focused on the scope of protection (e.g. purpose-bound protection) and gene patents being subject to a specific DNA regime on patent rights. The Directive can be interpreted as favouring such a solution, but so far the European Commission has decided neither to support nor reject...

Kinases Involved in Both Autophagy and Mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiyuan; Zhang, Xin

2017-08-31

Both mitosis and autophagy are highly regulated dynamic cellular processes and involve various phosphorylation events catalysed by kinases, which play vital roles in almost all physiological and pathological conditions. Mitosis is a key event during the cell cycle, in which the cell divides into two daughter cells. Autophagy is a process in which the cell digests its own cellular contents. Although autophagy regulation has mainly been studied in asynchronous cells, increasing evidence indicates that autophagy is in fact tightly regulated in mitosis. Here in this review, we will discuss kinases that were originally identified to be involved in only one of either mitosis or autophagy, but were later found to participate in both processes, such as CDKs (cyclin-dependent kinases), Aurora kinases, PLK-1 (polo-like kinase 1), BUB1 (budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1), MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases), mTORC1 (mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1), AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), PI3K (phosphoinositide-3 kinase) and protein kinase B (AKT). By focusing on kinases involved in both autophagy and mitosis, we will get a more comprehensive understanding about the reciprocal regulation between the two key cellular events, which will also shed light on their related therapeutic investigations.

Kinases Involved in Both Autophagy and Mitosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiyuan Li

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Both mitosis and autophagy are highly regulated dynamic cellular processes and involve various phosphorylation events catalysed by kinases, which play vital roles in almost all physiological and pathological conditions. Mitosis is a key event during the cell cycle, in which the cell divides into two daughter cells. Autophagy is a process in which the cell digests its own cellular contents. Although autophagy regulation has mainly been studied in asynchronous cells, increasing evidence indicates that autophagy is in fact tightly regulated in mitosis. Here in this review, we will discuss kinases that were originally identified to be involved in only one of either mitosis or autophagy, but were later found to participate in both processes, such as CDKs (cyclin-dependent kinases, Aurora kinases, PLK-1 (polo-like kinase 1, BUB1 (budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1, MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases, mTORC1 (mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1, AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase, PI3K (phosphoinositide-3 kinase and protein kinase B (AKT. By focusing on kinases involved in both autophagy and mitosis, we will get a more comprehensive understanding about the reciprocal regulation between the two key cellular events, which will also shed light on their related therapeutic investigations.

Nano rare-earth oxides induced size-dependent vacuolization: an independent pathway from autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Yu, Chenguang; Huang, Guanyi; Wang, Changli; Wen, Longping

2010-09-07

Four rare earth oxides have been shown to induce autophagy. Interestingly, we often noticed plentiful vacuolization, which was not always involved in this autophagic process. In this study, we investigated three other rare-earth elements, including Yttrium (Y), Ytterbium (Yb), and Lanthanum (La). Autophagic effect could be induced by all of them but only Y(2)O(3) and Yb(2)O(3) could cause massive vacuolization. Y(2)O(3) and Yb(2)O(3) treated by sonication or centrifugation to reduce particle size were used to test vacuolization level in HeLa cell lines. The results showed that rare earth oxides-induced vacuolization is size-dependent and differs from autophagic pathway. To further clarify the characteristics of this autophagic process, we used MEF Atg-5 (autophagy associated gene 5) knockout cell line, and the result showed that the autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides is Atg-5-dependent and the observed vacuolization was independent from autophagy. Similar results could also be observed in our tests on 3-methyladenine(3-MA), a well-known autophagy inhibitor. In conclusion, for the first time, we clarified the relationship between massive vacuolization and autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides and pointed out the size effect of rare earth oxides on the formation of vacuoles, which give clues to further investigation on the mechanisms underlying their biological effects.

Nanomaterials and Autophagy: New Insights in Cancer Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panzarini, Elisa; Inguscio, Valentina; Tenuzzo, Bernardetta Anna; Carata, Elisabetta; Dini, Luciana

2013-01-01

Autophagy represents a cell’s response to stress. It is an evolutionarily conserved process with diversified roles. Indeed, it controls intracellular homeostasis by degradation and/or recycling intracellular metabolic material, supplies energy, provides nutrients, eliminates cytotoxic materials and damaged proteins and organelles. Moreover, autophagy is involved in several diseases. Recent evidences support a relationship between several classes of nanomaterials and autophagy perturbation, both induction and blockade, in many biological models. In fact, the autophagic mechanism represents a common cellular response to nanomaterials. On the other hand, the dynamic nature of autophagy in cancer biology is an intriguing approach for cancer therapeutics, since during tumour development and therapy, autophagy has been reported to trigger both an early cell survival and a late cell death. The use of nanomaterials in cancer treatment to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs and target tumours is well known. Recently, autophagy modulation mediated by nanomaterials has become an appealing notion in nanomedicine therapeutics, since it can be exploited as adjuvant in chemotherapy or in the development of cancer vaccines or as a potential anti-cancer agent. Herein, we summarize the effects of nanomaterials on autophagic processes in cancer, also considering the therapeutic outcome of synergism between nanomaterials and autophagy to improve existing cancer therapies

A microtubule inhibitor, ABT-751, induces autophagy and delays apoptosis in Huh-7 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei, Ren-Jie [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Lin, Su-Shuan [Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Wu, Wen-Ren [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Lih-Ren [Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Division of Physiology, Livestock Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Taiwan (China); Li, Chien-Feng [Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Department of Pathology, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan (China); National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institute, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Han-De; Chou, Chien-Ting; Chen, Ya-Chun [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Liang, Shih-Shin [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Department of Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chien, Shang-Tao [Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Shiue, Yow-Ling, E-mail: ylshiue@mail.nsysu.edu.tw [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Doctoral Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

2016-11-15

The objective was to investigate the upstream mechanisms of apoptosis which were triggered by a novel anti-microtubule drug, ABT-751, in hepatocellular carcinoma-derived Huh-7 cells. Effects of ABT-751 were evaluated by immunocytochemistry, flow cytometric, alkaline comet, soft agar, immunoblotting, CytoID, green fluorescent protein-microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta detection, plasmid transfection, nuclear/cytosol fractionation, coimmunoprecipitation, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, small-hairpin RNA interference and mitochondria/cytosol fractionation assays. Results showed that ABT-751 caused dysregulation of microtubule, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA damage, G{sub 2}/M cell cycle arrest, inhibition of anchorage-independent cell growth and apoptosis in Huh-7 cells. ABT-751 also induced early autophagy via upregulation of nuclear TP53 and downregulation of the AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT)/mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) pathway. Through modulation of the expression levels of DNA damage checkpoint proteins and G{sub 2}/M cell cycle regulators, ABT-751 induced G{sub 2}/M cell cycle arrest. Subsequently, ABT-751 triggered apoptosis with marked downregulation of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2, upregulation of mitochondrial BCL2 antagonist/killer 1 and BCL2 like 11 protein levels, and cleavages of caspase 8 (CASP8), CASP9, CASP3 and DNA fragmentation factor subunit alpha proteins. Suppression of ROS significantly decreased ABT-751-induced autophagic and apoptotic cells. Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy significantly increased the percentages of ABT-751-induced apoptotic cells. The autophagy induced by ABT-751 plays a protective role to postpone apoptosis by exerting adaptive responses following microtubule damage, ROS and/or impaired mitochondria. - Highlights: • An anti-microtubule agent, ABT-751, induces autophagy and apoptosis in Huh-7 cells. �

Parkinson's Disease: Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 and Autophagy, Intimate Enemies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José M. Bravo-San Pedro

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Parkinson's disease is the second common neurodegenerative disorder, after Alzheimer's disease. It is a clinical syndrome characterized by loss of dopamine-generating cells in the substancia nigra, a region of the midbrain. The etiology of Parkinson's disease has long been through to involve both genetic and environmental factors. Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene cause late-onset Parkinson's disease with a clinical appearance indistinguishable from Parkinson's disease idiopathic. Autophagy is an intracellular catabolic mechanism whereby a cell recycles or degrades damage proteins and cytoplasmic organelles. This degradative process has been associated with cellular dysfunction in neurodegenerative processes including Parkinson's disease. We discuss the role of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 in autophagy, and how the deregulations of this degradative mechanism in cells can be implicated in the Parkinson's disease etiology.

Cisplatin-induced downregulation of miR-199a-5p increases drug resistance by activating autophagy in HCC cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Ning; Zhang, Jianjun; Shen, Conghuan; Luo, Yi; Xia, Lei; Xue, Feng; Xia, Qiang

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► miR-199a-5p levels were significantly decreased after cisplatin treatment. ► Cisplatin treatment induced autophagy activation. ► Cisplatin-induced downregulation of miR-199a-5p increases drug resistance by activating autophagy in HCC cell. -- Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Systemic chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of patients with advanced liver cancer. However, chemoresistance to cisplatin is a major limitation of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in the clinic, and the underlying mechanism of such resistance is not fully understood. In the study, we found that miR-199a-5p levels were significantly reduced in HCC patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Cisplatin treatment also resulted in decreased miR-199a-5p levels in human HCC cell lines. Forced expression of miR-199a-5p promoted cisplatin-induced inhibition of cell proliferation. Cisplatin treatment activated autophagy in Huh7 and HepG2 cells, which increased cell proliferation. We further demonstrated that downregulated miR-199a-5p enhanced autophagy activation by targeting autophagy-associated gene 7 (ATG7). More important, autophagy inhibition abrogated miR-199a-5p downregulation-induced cell proliferation. These data demonstrated that miR-199a-5p/autophagy signaling represents a novel pathway regulating chemoresistance, thus offering a new target for chemotherapy of HCC.

Cisplatin-induced downregulation of miR-199a-5p increases drug resistance by activating autophagy in HCC cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Ning; Zhang, Jianjun; Shen, Conghuan; Luo, Yi; Xia, Lei; Xue, Feng [Department of Transplantation and Hepatic Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, People' s Republic of China (China); Xia, Qiang, E-mail: xiaqiang1@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Transplantation and Hepatic Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, People' s Republic of China (China)

2012-07-13

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer miR-199a-5p levels were significantly decreased after cisplatin treatment. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cisplatin treatment induced autophagy activation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cisplatin-induced downregulation of miR-199a-5p increases drug resistance by activating autophagy in HCC cell. -- Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Systemic chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of patients with advanced liver cancer. However, chemoresistance to cisplatin is a major limitation of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in the clinic, and the underlying mechanism of such resistance is not fully understood. In the study, we found that miR-199a-5p levels were significantly reduced in HCC patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Cisplatin treatment also resulted in decreased miR-199a-5p levels in human HCC cell lines. Forced expression of miR-199a-5p promoted cisplatin-induced inhibition of cell proliferation. Cisplatin treatment activated autophagy in Huh7 and HepG2 cells, which increased cell proliferation. We further demonstrated that downregulated miR-199a-5p enhanced autophagy activation by targeting autophagy-associated gene 7 (ATG7). More important, autophagy inhibition abrogated miR-199a-5p downregulation-induced cell proliferation. These data demonstrated that miR-199a-5p/autophagy signaling represents a novel pathway regulating chemoresistance, thus offering a new target for chemotherapy of HCC.

Human stefin B role in cell's response to misfolded proteins and autophagy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mira Polajnar

Full Text Available Alternative functions, apart from cathepsins inhibition, are being discovered for stefin B. Here, we investigate its role in vesicular trafficking and autophagy. Astrocytes isolated from stefin B knock-out (KO mice exhibited an increased level of protein aggregates scattered throughout the cytoplasm. Addition of stefin B monomers or small oligomers to the cell medium reverted this phenotype, as imaged by confocal microscopy. To monitor the identity of proteins embedded within aggregates in wild type (wt and KO cells, the insoluble cell lysate fractions were isolated and analyzed by mass spectrometry. Chaperones, tubulins, dyneins, and proteosomal components were detected in the insoluble fraction of wt cells but not in KO aggregates. In contrast, the insoluble fraction of KO cells exhibited increased levels of apolipoprotein E, fibronectin, clusterin, major prion protein, and serpins H1 and I2 and some proteins of lysosomal origin, such as cathepsin D and CD63, relative to wt astrocytes. Analysis of autophagy activity demonstrated that this pathway was less functional in KO astrocytes. In addition, synthetic dosage lethality (SDL gene interactions analysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing human stefin B suggests a role in transport of vesicles and vacuoles These activities would contribute, directly or indirectly to completion of autophagy in wt astrocytes and would account for the accumulation of protein aggregates in KO cells, since autophagy is a key pathway for the clearance of intracellular protein aggregates.

Diabetic retinopathy pathogenesis and the ameliorating effects of melatonin; involvement of autophagy, inflammation and oxidative stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehdashtian, Ehsan; Mehrzadi, Saeed; Yousefi, Bahman; Hosseinzadeh, Azam; Reiter, Russel J; Safa, Majid; Ghaznavi, Habib; Naseripour, Masood

2018-01-15

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), remains as one of the major causes of vision loss worldwide. The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the adhesion of leukocytes to retinal capillaries are initial events in DR development. Inflammation, ER stress, oxidative stress and autophagy are major causative factors involved in the pathogenesis of DR. Diabetes associated hyperglycemia leads to mitochondrial electron transport chain dysfunction culminating in a rise in ROS generation. Since mitochondria are the major source of ROS production, oxidative stress induced by mitochondrial dysfunction also contributes to the development of diabetic retinopathy. Autophagy increases in the retina of diabetic patients and is regulated by ER stress, oxidative stress and inflammation-related pathways. Autophagy functions as a double-edged sword in DR. Under mild stress, autophagic activity can lead to cell survival while during severe stress, dysregulated autophagy results in massive cell death and may have a role in initiation and exacerbation of DR. Melatonin and its metabolites play protective roles against inflammation, ER stress and oxidative stress due to their direct free radical scavenger activities and indirect antioxidant activity via the stimulation antioxidant enzymes including glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase. Melatonin also acts as a cell survival agent by modulating autophagy in various cell types and under different conditions through amelioration of oxidative stress, ER stress and inflammation. Herein, we review the possible effects of melatonin on diabetic retinopathy, focusing on its ability to regulate autophagy processes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Reactive oxygen species acts as executor in radiation enhancement and autophagy inducing by AgNPs.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hao; Lin, Jun; Liu, Peidang; Huang, Zhihai; Zhao, Peng; Jin, Haizhen; Ma, Jun; Wen, Longping; Gu, Ning

2016-09-01

Malignant glioma is one of the most common intracranial tumor with a dismal prognosis. The radiosensitizing effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on glioma both in vitro and in vivo were demonstrated in the previous studies of our group. However, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. In this present study, the use of antioxidants is employed for the regulating of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in U251 cells treated with various agents, and the results shows that ROS played an essential role in the autophagy inducing and radiosensitization effect of AgNPs. Moreover, the inhibition of protective autophagy with 3-MA is another way to increase ROS, resulting in the increasing of cell death and apoptosis. Taken together, understanding the relationship between the elevated ROS and autophagy and the effect of ROS should be useful to the clinical applications of AgNPs. These findings could potentially be exploited for new therapeutic strategies in glioma radiotherapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of Autophagy in the Control of Body Metabolism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenying Quan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Autophagy plays a crucial role in the maintenance of cellular nutrient balance and the function of organelles such as mitochondria or the endoplasmic reticulum, which are important in intracellular metabolism, insulin release, and insulin sensitivity. In the insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells, autophagy is important in the maintenance of β-cell mass, structure, and function. Mice with deficiencies in β-cell-specific autophagy show reduced β-cell mass and defects in insulin secretion that lead to hypoinsulinemia and hyperglycemia but not diabetes. However, these mice developed diabetes when bred with ob/ob mice, suggesting that autophagy-deficient β-cells have defects in dealing with the increased metabolic stress imposed by obesity. These results also imply that autophagy deficiency in β-cells could be a factor in the progression from obesity to diabetes. Another important function of autophagy is in hypothalamic neurons for the central control of energy expenditure, appetite, and body weight. In addition, mice with autophagy deficiencies in the target tissues of insulin have yielded diverse phenotypes. Taken together, these results suggest that autophagy is important in the control of whole body energy and nutrient homeostasis, and its dysregulation could play a role in the development of metabolic disorders and diabetes.

Laser stimulation can activate autophagy in HeLa cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yisen; Hu, Minglie; Wang, Chingyue; Lan, Bei; Cao, Youjia; He, Hao

2014-01-01

For decades, lasers have been a daily tool in most biological research for fluorescent excitation by confocal or multiphoton microscopy. More than 20 years ago, cell photodamage caused by intense laser stimulation was noticed by generating reactive oxygen species, which was then thought as the main damage effect by photons. In this study, we show that laser stimulation can induce autophagy, an important cell lysosomal pathway responding to immune stimulation and starvation, without any biochemical treatment. Two different types of laser stimulations are found to be capable of activating autophagy: continuous scanning by continuous-wave visible lasers and a short-time flash of femtosecond laser irradiation. The autophagy generation is independent from wavelength, power, and scanning duration of the visible lasers. In contrast, the power of femtosecond laser is very critical to autophagy because the multiphoton excited Ca 2+ dominates autophagy signaling. In general, we show here the different mechanisms of autophagy generation by such laser stimulation, which correspond to confocal microscopy and cell surgery, respectively. Those results can help further understanding of photodamage and autophagy signaling.

Distinct Contributions of Autophagy Receptors in Measles Virus Replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Petkova, Denitsa S; Verlhac, Pauline; Rozières, Aurore; Baguet, Joël; Claviere, Mathieu; Kretz-Remy, Carole; Mahieux, Renaud; Viret, Christophe; Faure, Mathias

2017-05-22

Autophagy is a potent cell autonomous defense mechanism that engages the lysosomal pathway to fight intracellular pathogens. Several autophagy receptors can recognize invading pathogens in order to target them towards autophagy for their degradation after the fusion of pathogen-containing autophagosomes with lysosomes. However, numerous intracellular pathogens can avoid or exploit autophagy, among which is measles virus (MeV). This virus induces a complete autophagy flux, which is required to improve viral replication. We therefore asked how measles virus interferes with autophagy receptors during the course of infection. We report that in addition to NDP52/CALCOCO₂ and OPTINEURIN/OPTN, another autophagy receptor, namely T6BP/TAXIBP1, also regulates the maturation of autophagosomes by promoting their fusion with lysosomes, independently of any infection. Surprisingly, only two of these receptors, NDP52 and T6BP, impacted measles virus replication, although independently, and possibly through physical interaction with MeV proteins. Thus, our results suggest that a restricted set of autophagosomes is selectively exploited by measles virus to replicate in the course of infection.

Laser stimulation can activate autophagy in HeLa cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yisen; Hu, Minglie; Wang, Chingyue [Ultrafast Laser Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Information Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Precision Instrument and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin (China); Lan, Bei; Cao, Youjia [Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin (China); He, Hao, E-mail: haohe@tju.edu.cn [Ultrafast Laser Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Information Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Precision Instrument and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin (China); Med-X Research Institute, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai (China)

2014-10-27

For decades, lasers have been a daily tool in most biological research for fluorescent excitation by confocal or multiphoton microscopy. More than 20 years ago, cell photodamage caused by intense laser stimulation was noticed by generating reactive oxygen species, which was then thought as the main damage effect by photons. In this study, we show that laser stimulation can induce autophagy, an important cell lysosomal pathway responding to immune stimulation and starvation, without any biochemical treatment. Two different types of laser stimulations are found to be capable of activating autophagy: continuous scanning by continuous-wave visible lasers and a short-time flash of femtosecond laser irradiation. The autophagy generation is independent from wavelength, power, and scanning duration of the visible lasers. In contrast, the power of femtosecond laser is very critical to autophagy because the multiphoton excited Ca{sup 2+} dominates autophagy signaling. In general, we show here the different mechanisms of autophagy generation by such laser stimulation, which correspond to confocal microscopy and cell surgery, respectively. Those results can help further understanding of photodamage and autophagy signaling.

rBTI reduced β-amyloid-induced toxicity by promoting autophagy-lysosomal degradation via DAF-16 in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiao; Cui, Xiaodong; Ma, Xiaoli; Wang, Zhuanhua

2017-03-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease, of which β-amyloid (Aβ) induced toxicity was suggested as a main cause. Some substances with prolongevity effects have been shown to be protective against AD. In a previous study we demonstrated that a recombinant buckwheat trypsin inhibitor (rBTI) could prolonge the lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Here, we investigated whether rBTI may benefit to mitigate the AD symptom by feeding the AD model C. elegans CL4176. CL4176 is a transgenic C. elegans expressing human Aβ 3-42 in muscle tissue. The results showed that rBTI not only could extend lifespan but also could reduce Aβ toxicity-triggered body paralysis in AD worms. Further study found the accumulation of Aβ was decreased and autophagy-lysosomal degradation pathway was activated in AD worms treated with rBTI. Moreover, the inhibition of autophagy reduced rBTI-mediated paralysis delay. Genetic analyses showed rBTI increased the transcriptional activity of dauer formation abnormal-16 (DAF-16) and the disruption of daf-16 abolished rBTI-mediated protective effect in AD worms. Taken together, these data indicated that rBTI promoted the autophagy-lysosomal degradation pathway to reduce the Aβ-induced toxicity via DAF-16 in an AD model C. elegans, implying that BTI has the potential to protect against AD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CD4 T cell autophagy is integral to memory maintenance.

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Murera, Diane; Arbogast, Florent; Arnold, Johan; Bouis, Delphine; Muller, Sylviane; Gros, Frédéric

2018-04-13

Studies of mice deficient for autophagy in T cells since thymic development, concluded that autophagy is integral to mature T cell homeostasis. Basal survival and functional impairments in vivo, limited the use of these models to delineate the role of autophagy during the immune response. We generated Atg5 f/f distal Lck (dLck)-cre mice, with deletion of autophagy only at a mature stage. In this model, autophagy deficiency impacts CD8 + T cell survival but has no influence on CD4 + T cell number and short-term activation. Moreover, autophagy in T cells is dispensable during early humoral response but critical for long-term antibody production. Autophagy in CD4 + T cells is required to transfer humoral memory as shown by injection of antigen-experienced cells in naive mice. We also observed a selection of autophagy-competent cells in the CD4 + T cell memory compartment. We performed in vitro differentiation of memory CD4 + T cells, to better characterize autophagy-deficient memory cells. We identified mitochondrial and lipid load defects in differentiated memory CD4 + T cells, together with a compromised survival, without any collapse of energy production. We then propose that memory CD4 + T cells rely on autophagy for their survival to regulate toxic effects of mitochondrial activity and lipid overload.

Are mitochondrial reactive oxygen species required for autophagy?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Jianfei, E-mail: jjf73@pitt.edu [Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh (United States); Maeda, Akihiro; Ji, Jing [Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh (United States); Baty, Catherine J.; Watkins, Simon C. [Center for Biologic Imaging, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh (United States); Greenberger, Joel S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh (United States); Kagan, Valerian E., E-mail: kagan@pitt.edu [Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh (United States)

2011-08-19

Highlights: {yields} Autophageal and apoptotic pathways were dissected in cytochrome c deficient cells. {yields} Staurosporine (STS)-induced autophagy was not accompanied by ROS generation. {yields} Autophagy was detectable in mitochondrial DNA deficient {rho}{sup 0} cells. {yields} Mitochondrial ROS are not required for the STS-induced autophagy in HeLa cells. -- Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are said to participate in the autophagy signaling. Supporting evidence is obscured by interference of autophagy and apoptosis, whereby the latter heavily relies on ROS signaling. To dissect autophagy from apoptosis we knocked down expression of cytochrome c, the key component of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, in HeLa cells using shRNA. In cytochrome c deficient HeLa1.2 cells, electron transport was compromised due to the lack of electron shuttle between mitochondrial respiratory complexes III and IV. A rapid and robust LC3-I/II conversion and mitochondria degradation were observed in HeLa1.2 cells treated with staurosporine (STS). Neither generation of superoxide nor accumulation of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} was detected in STS-treated HeLa1.2 cells. A membrane permeable antioxidant, PEG-SOD, plus catalase exerted no effect on STS-induced LC3-I/II conversion and mitochondria degradation. Further, STS caused autophagy in mitochondria DNA-deficient {rho}{sup o} HeLa1.2 cells in which both electron transport and ROS generation were completely disrupted. Counter to the widespread view, we conclude that mitochondrial ROS are not required for the induction of autophagy.

Sorafenib-induced defective autophagy promotes cell death by necroptosis

OpenAIRE

Kharaziha, Pedram; Chioureas, Dimitris; Baltatzis, George; Fonseca, Pedro; Rodriguez, Patricia; Gogvadze, Vladimir; Lennartsson, Lena; Bj?rklund, Ann-Charlotte; Zhivotovsky, Boris; Grand?r, Dan; Egevad, Lars; Nilsson, Sten; Panaretakis, Theocharis

2015-01-01

Autophagy is one of the main cytoprotective mechanisms that cancer cells deploy to withstand the cytotoxic stress and survive the lethal damage induced by anti-cancer drugs. However, under specific conditions, autophagy may, directly or indirectly, induce cell death. In our study, treatment of the Atg5-deficient DU145 prostate cancer cells, with the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sorafenib, induces mitochondrial damage, autophagy and cell death. Molecular inhibition of autophagy by silencin...

Emerging role of autophagy in kidney function, diseases and aging

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Tobias B.; Edelstein, Charles L.; Hartleben, Björn; Inoki, Ken; Jiang, Man; Koya, Daisuke; Kume, Shinji; Lieberthal, Wilfred; Pallet, Nicolas; Quiroga, Alejandro; Ravichandran, Kameswaran; Susztak, Katalin; Yoshida, Sei; Dong, Zheng

2012-01-01

Autophagy is a highly conserved process that degrades cellular long-lived proteins and organelles. Accumulating evidence indicates that autophagy plays a critical role in kidney maintenance, diseases and aging. Ischemic, toxic, immunological, and oxidative insults can cause an induction of autophagy in renal epithelial cells modifying the course of various kidney diseases. This review summarizes recent insights on the role of autophagy in kidney physiology and diseases alluding to possible novel intervention strategies for treating specific kidney disorders by modifying autophagy. PMID:22692002

Cardiac-Specific Overexpression of Catalase Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Myocardial Contractile Dysfunction: Role of Autophagy

Science.gov (United States)

Turdi, Subat; Han, Xuefeng; Huff, Anna F.; Roe, Nathan D.; Hu, Nan; Gao, Feng; Ren, Jun

2012-01-01

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria is a major initiator of sepsis, leading to cardiovascular collapse. Accumulating evidence has indicated a role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cardiovascular complication in sepsis. This study was designed to examine the effect of cardiac-specific overexpression of catalase in LPS-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction and the underlying mechanism(s) with a focus on autophagy. Catalase transgenic and wild-type FVB mice were challenged with LPS (6 mg/kg) and cardiac function was evaluated. Levels of oxidative stress, autophagy, apoptosis and protein damage were examined using fluorescence microscopy, Western blot, TUNEL assay, caspase-3 activity and carbonyl formation. Kaplan-Meier curve was constructed for survival following LPS treatment. Our results revealed a lower mortality in catalase mice compared with FVB mice following LPS challenge. LPS injection led to depressed cardiac contractile capacity as evidenced by echocardiography and cardiomyocyte contractile function, the effect of which was ablated by catalase overexpression. LPS treatment induced elevated TNF-α level, autophagy, apoptosis (TUNEL, caspase-3 activation, cleaved caspase-3), production of ROS and O2−, and protein carbonyl formation, the effects of which were significantly attenuated by catalase overexpression. Electron microscopy revealed focal myocardial damage characterized by mitochondrial injury following LPS treatment, which was less severe in catalase mice. Interestingly, LPS-induced cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction was prevented by antioxidant NAC and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Taken together, our data revealed that catalase protects against LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction and mortality, which may be associated with inhibition of oxidative stress and autophagy. PMID:22902401

The potential regulatory roles of NAD(+) and its metabolism in autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dong-Xia; Zhang, Jia-Ping; Hu, Jiong-Yu; Huang, Yue-Sheng

2016-04-01

(Macro)autophagy mediates the bulk degradation of defective organelles, long-lived proteins and protein aggregates in lysosomes and plays a critical role in cellular and tissue homeostasis. Defective autophagy processes have been found to contribute to a variety of metabolic diseases. However, the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy are not fully understood. Increasing data indicate that nicotinamide adenine nucleotide (NAD(+)) homeostasis correlates intimately with autophagy. NAD(+) is a ubiquitous coenzyme that functions primarily as an electron carrier of oxidoreductase in multiple redox reactions. Both NAD(+) homeostasis and its metabolism are thought to play critical roles in regulating autophagy. In this review, we discuss how the regulation of NAD(+) and its metabolism can influence autophagy. We focus on the regulation of NAD(+)/NADH homeostasis and the effects of NAD(+) consumption by poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), NAD(+)-dependent deacetylation by sirtuins and NAD(+) metabolites on autophagy processes and the underlying mechanisms. Future studies should provide more direct evidence for the regulation of autophagy processes by NAD(+). A better understanding of the critical roles of NAD(+) and its metabolites on autophagy will shed light on the complexity of autophagy regulation, which is essential for the discovery of new therapeutic tools for autophagy-related diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Molecular View of Autophagy in Lepidoptera

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Davide Romanelli

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Metamorphosis represents a critical phase in the development of holometabolous insects, during which the larval body is completely reorganized: in fact, most of the larval organs undergo remodeling or completely degenerate before the final structure of the adult insect is rebuilt. In the past, increasing evidence emerged concerning the intervention of autophagy and apoptosis in the cell death processes that occur in larval organs of Lepidoptera during metamorphosis, but a molecular characterization of these pathways was undertaken only in recent years. In addition to developmentally programmed autophagy, there is growing interest in starvation-induced autophagy. Therefore we are now entering a new era of research on autophagy that foreshadows clarification of the role and regulatory mechanisms underlying this self-digesting process in Lepidoptera. Given that some of the most important lepidopteran species of high economic importance, such as the silkworm, Bombyx mori, belong to this insect order, we expect that this information on autophagy will be fully exploited not only in basic research but also for practical applications.

Insulin receptor substrate-1 prevents autophagy-dependent cell death caused by oxidative stress in mouse NIH/3T3 cells

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Chan Shih-Hung

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1 is associated with tumorigenesis; its levels are elevated in several human cancers. IRS-1 protein binds to several oncogene proteins. Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS are involved in the initiation and progression of cancers. Cancer cells produce greater levels of ROS than normal cells do because of increased metabolic stresses. However, excessive production of ROS kills cancer cells. Autophagy usually serves as a survival mechanism in response to stress conditions, but excessive induction of autophagy results in cell death. In addition to inducing necrosis and apoptosis, ROS induces autophagic cell death. ROS inactivates IRS-1 mediated signaling and reduces intracellular IRS-1 concentrations. Thus, there is a complex relationship between IRS-1, ROS, autophagy, and cancer. It is not fully understood how cancer cells grow rapidly and survive in the presence of high ROS levels. Methods and results In this study, we established mouse NIH/3T3 cells that overexpressed IRS-1, so mimicking cancers with increased IRS-1 expression levels; we found that the IRS-1 overexpressing cells grow more rapidly than control cells do. Treatment of cells with glucose oxidase (GO provided a continuous source of ROS; low dosages of GO promoted cell growth, while high doses induced cell death. Evidence for GO induced autophagy includes increased levels of isoform B-II microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3, aggregation of green fluorescence protein-tagged LC3, and increased numbers of autophagic vacuoles in cells. Overexpression of IRS-1 resulted in inhibition of basal autophagy, and reduced oxidative stress-induced autophagy and cell death. ROS decreased the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR/p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase signaling, while overexpression of IRS-1 attenuated this inhibition. Knockdown of autophagy-related gene 5 inhibited basal autophagy and diminished oxidative stress