Focus on Autophagy

The Focus on Autophagy is a collation of articles about this important cellular process. Learn about autophagy and the products that Fortis offers to study this pathway, and sign up to receive emails about future Focus on… features.

Focus on Autophagy

Inside the cell, there are multiple mechanisms to degrade intra- and extra-cellular components. Autophagy is a non-specific pathway that sequesters cytoplasmic contents via double membranes to recycle intracellular contents. It was initially characterized as a starvation response. When cells are depleted of nutrients, they must break down cellular components that are not necessary to supply the building blocks for those that are. This recycling process – autophagy – is more efficient than creating or manufacturing individual macromolecules. Autophagy is critical for cell and tissue homeostasis and when disrupted, can lead to a variety of disease states including cancer, increased pathogen replication, heart disease, pro-aging, and neurological disorders.

The process of autophagy can be broken down into six steps.

  1. Initiation: the clustering of autophagy factors to create the core autophagy complex
  2. Nucleation: the formation of the initial double membrane at the site of the core autophagy complex
  3. Elongation: the extension of the double membrane
  4. Autophagosome Formation: the complete enclosure of cytoplasmic contents by the double membrane forming the autophagosome
  5. Autophagosome-Lysosome Fusion: the fusion of the lysosome and the autophagosome, exposing the contents of the autophagosome to the degrading enzymes of the lysosome
  6. Degradation & Recycling: the breakdown of the autophagosome contents by lysosomal enzymes resulting in building blocks that can be released back into the cytoplasm and used to make DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates
Autophagy is a multi-step process consisting of six phases: initiation, nucleation, elongation, autophagosome formation, autophagosome-lysosome fusion, and autophagosome degradation & recycling. The Initiation phase is triggered by several potential autophagy inducing factors, and leads to the formation of the ULK1 complex and the pre-autophagosomal structure. The nucleation phase involves the ATG9a system, the class III PI3K complex, and the pre-autophagosomal structure. The elongation phase requires the ATG16L complex.

Cutting-edge Autophagy Research

USP11 promotes autophagy

USP11 promotes autophagy by directly stabilizing Beclin-1. A recent publication identifies USP11 as a potential therapeutic target to inhibit autophagy in cancer.


CD38 and LRRK2 play a role in autophagy induction

A recent paper by Neel Nabar and colleagues from the National Institute of Health added new signaling molecules (CD38 and LRRK2) into the autophagy induction pathways.


Generation and Application of a Novel Monoclonal Antibody to UBQLN4 to Characterize the dsDNA Damage Response

Ubqln4 plays an important role in autophagy by interacting with the autophagosome membrane and recruiting additional proteins required for autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Learn how Fortis made a highly specific antibody for Ubqln4, using our six pillars of validation approach, that can be used in WB, IP, flow cytometry, and multiplex IHC.


KANSL1 is a regulator of autophagosome-lysosome fusion

A recent study shows a link between autophagy and a rare genetic disorder, Koolen-de Vries syndrome, caused by loss of KANSL1. An FDA-approved drug, 13-cis retinoic acid, was able to rescue autophagy in the absence of KANSL1.


FKBP51 links autophagy and obesity

FKBP51 expression levels tightly control induction or inhibition of autophagy. In the mediobasal hypothalamus, this regulation of autophagy has a profound impact on obesity.


MondoA controls senescence through autophagy and mitochondrial homesostasis

A recent study provides mechanistic insights for the involvement of autophagy in cellular senescence. This research shows the transcription factor MondoA controls expression of the autophagy inhibitor Rubicon when senescence is induced.



Sign up to receive future Focus on… features

Fortis Products for Studying Autophagy

Don’t see the see the target you are looking for? Let us know.

Name

Role in Autophagy

Catalog #

Applications

Reactivity

Host

Clonality

AMBRA1

Positive regulator of autophagy

A302-568A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

AMPK
alpha 1

Autophagosome maturation & lysosome fusion

A300-507A

IHC, IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

AMPK
alpha 2

Autophagosome maturation & lysosome fusion

A300-508A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

ATG4B

Processing and recycling of LC3. Facilitates autophagosome-lysosome fusion.

A302-897A

IP

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

ATG4B

Processing and recycling of LC3. Facilitates autophagosome-lysosome fusion.

A302-898A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

ATG9A

Interacts with PAS and isolation membrane formation. Generation of phagophore.

A305-233A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

ATG13

Initiates autophagy

A305-276A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

ATG16L1

Determines site of LC3 conjugation. Facilitates membrane elongation.

A303-294A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

ATG16L1

Determines site of LC3 conjugation. Facilitates membrane elongation.

A303-295A

IP

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

Beclin-1

Autophagic protein localization to PAS

A302-566A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

Beclin-1

Autophagic protein localization to PAS

A302-567A

IP

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

EI24

Formation of autophagosome-lysosome fusion and degradation of contents.

A305-689A

IP

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

FIP200

Stability and phosphorylation of ULK1 resulting in initiation of autophagy.

A301-536A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

FIP200

Stability and phosphorylation of ULK1 resulting in initiation of autophagy.

A301-574A

IP

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

FYCO1

Binds LC3 to facilitate autophagosome-lysosome fusion.

A302-795A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

FYCO1

Binds LC3 to facilitate autophagosome-lysosome fusion.

A302-796A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

mTOR

Inhibits autophagy

A300-503A

ICC, IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

mTOR

Inhibits autophagy

A300-504A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

mTOR

Inhibits autophagy

A301-143A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

mTOR

Inhibits autophagy

A301-144A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

MondoA

Activates autophagy

A303-195A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

P62/
Sequestosome-1

Guides polyubiquitinated proteins & organelles to autophagosomes

A302-855A

IHC, IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

P62/
Sequestosome-1

Guides polyubiquitinated proteins & organelles to autophagosomes

A302-856A

IHC, IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

P62/
Sequestosome-1

Guides polyubiquitinated proteins & organelles to autophagosomes

A302-857A

IHC, IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

Rubicon

Inhibits Class III PI3K Complex via interaction with UVRAG.

A302-569A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

SOGA1

Regulates autophagy

A304-911A

IP

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

TFEB

Master regulator of autophagy

A700-070

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Monoclonal

TFEB

Master regulator of autophagy

A303-672A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

TFEB

Master regulator of autophagy

A303-673A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

USP11

Promotes autophagy

A301-613A

IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

UVRAG

Promotes autophagy

A301-996A

IHC, IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

VMA21

Decreases lysosomal pH enhancing autophagic degradation

A305-700A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

VMA21

Decreases lysosomal pH enhancing autophagic degradation

A305-701A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

VPS15

Promotes autophagy

A302-570A

IP

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal

VPS15

Promotes autophagy

A302-571A

IP, WB

Hu, Ms

Rabbit

Polyclonal

WDFY3

Associated with autophagic membranes

A301-869A

IHC, IP, WB

Hu

Rabbit

Polyclonal