Biological Functions of Autophagy Genes: A Disease Perspective

Crosstalk between apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

UPR, autophagy, and mitochondria crosstalk underlies the ER stress response

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a homeostatic mechanism by which cells regulate levels of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Although it is well characterized in non-neuronal cells, a proliferation of papers over the past few years has revealed a key role for the UPR in normal neuronal function and as an important driver of neurodegenerative diseases. A complex scenario is emerging in which distinct UPR signalling modules have specific and even opposite effects on neurodegeneration depending on the disease context. Here, we provide an overview of the most recent findings addressing the biological relevance of ER stress in the nervous system.

http://repositorio.uchile.cl/bitstream/handle/2250/129356/Disturbance%20of%20endoplasmic%20reticulum.pdf?sequence=1

Disturbance of endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis in neurodegenerative diseases

Autophagy Regulates Chromatin Ubiquitination in DNA Damage Response through Elimination of SQSTM1/p62

Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcriptional protein family members, including FOXO1 and FOXO3, are involved in the modulation of autophagy. However, whether there is redundancy between FOXO1 and FOXO3 in the ability to induce autophagy remains unclear. In this study, we showed that FOXO3 induced a transcription-dependent autophagy, and FOXO1 was required for this process. Overexpression of wild-type FOXO3 (WT) or FOXO3 (3A), which harbors alanine mutations at residues Thr32, Ser253 and Ser315, but not transcription-inactive FOXO3 (∆DB3A), significantly induced autophagy in the human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293T and mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell lines. Interestingly, depletion of FOXO1 by siRNA attenuated FOXO3-induced autophagy. Our data also showed that FOXO3 overexpression did not increase the expression of FOXO1 at the protein level, although FOXO3 was capable of binding the promoter region of FOXO1 and inducing an increase in the transcription of FOXO1 mRNA. Furthermore, our results showed that FOXO3 promoted the translocation of FOXO1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, resulting in an increase in FOXO1-induced autophagy. Moreover, our results supported a mechanism whereby FOXO3 dramatically increased the expression of the class I PtdIns3K catalytic subunit PIK3CA, leading to an increase in AKT1 activity, which resulted in the phosphorylation and nuclear export of FOXO1. To the best of our knowledge, our data are the first to suggest that FOXO1 plays a central role in FOXO3-induced autophagy.

FOXO3 induces FOXO1-dependent autophagy by activating the AKT1 signaling pathway

Autophagy is activated to maintain cellular energy homeostasis in response to nutrient starvation. However, autophagy is not persistently activated, which is poorly understood at a mechanistic level. Here, we report that turnover of FoxO1 is involved in the dynamic autophagic process caused by glutamine starvation. X-box-binding protein-1u (XBP-1u) has a critical role in FoxO1 degradation by recruiting FoxO1 to the 20S proteasome. In addition, the phosphorylation of XBP-1u by extracellular regulated protein kinases1/2 (ERK1/2) on Ser61 and Ser176 was found to be critical for the increased interaction between XBP-1u and FoxO1 upon glutamine starvation. Furthermore, knockdown of XBP-1u caused the sustained level of FoxO1 and the persistent activation of autophagy, leading to a significant decrease in cell viability. Finally, the inverse correlation between XBP-1u and FoxO1 expression agrees well with the expression profiles observed in many human cancer tissues. Thus, our findings link the dynamic process of autophagy to XBP-1u-induced FoxO1 degradation.

/pdf/xbp-1u-suppresses-autophagy-by-promoting-the-degradation-of-1b8zjqa10a.pdf

XBP-1u suppresses autophagy by promoting the degradation of FoxO1 in cancer cells.

Although Beclin 1 and mTOR are considered to be the main molecules to modulate the autophagic process, searching for other autophagy-regulating molecules is still an ongoing challenge to scientists. Here we demonstrated that FoxO1, a forkhead O family protein, is a mediator of autophagy. Upon oxidative stress or serum starvation, endogenous FoxO1 was required for autophagy in human cancer cell lines, and this process was independent of FoxO1's transcriptional activity as well as mTOR or Beclin 1. In response to stress, FoxO1 dissociated from an NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase SIRT2, and FoxO1 thus became acetylated, and in turn bound to Atg7, an E1-like protein, to influence the autophagic process leading to cell death. In particular, cytosolic FoxO1 suppressed tumor xenograft growth in nude mice in an autophagy-dependent manner. Our studies provide evidence that cytosolic FoxO1-induced autophagy is associated with tumor suppression function.

Anti-neoplastic activity of the cytosolic FoxO1 results from autophagic cell death

Mutations in the gene encoding hepatocystin/80K-H (PRKCSH) cause autosomal-dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD). Hepatocystin functions in the processing of nascent glycoproteins as the noncatalytic beta subunit of glucosidase II (Glu II) and regulates calcium release from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R). Little is known, however, on how cells respond to a deficiency of hepatocystin. In this study, we demonstrate that knockdown of hepatocystin induces autophagy, the major intracellular degradation pathway essential for cellular health. Ectopic expression of wild-type hepatocystin, but not pathogenic mutants, rescues the siRNA-induced effect. Our data indicate that the induction of autophagy by hepatocystin deficiency is mediated through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Despite the resulting severe reduction in Glu II activity, the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway is not disturbed. Furthermore, the inhibition of IP3R-mediated transient calcium flux is not required for the induction of autophagy. These results provide new insights into the function of hepatocysin and the regulation of autophagy.

Ke Ma

Papers

Autophagy Regulates Chromatin Ubiquitination in DNA Damage Response through Elimination of SQSTM1/p62

FOXO3 induces FOXO1-dependent autophagy by activating the AKT1 signaling pathway

XBP-1u suppresses autophagy by promoting the degradation of FoxO1 in cancer cells.

Anti-neoplastic activity of the cytosolic FoxO1 results from autophagic cell death

Deficiency of hepatocystin induces autophagy through an mTOR-dependent pathway