Current Knowledge of Autophagy in Yeasts

Abstract: Autophagy is a highly conserved subcelullar degradation process in eukaryotes. By eliminating obsolete or damaged cytoplasmic materials， autophagy is critical in maintaining intracellular homeostasis under stress conditions. In multi-cellular organisms， autophagy plays important roles in development， immune defense， programmed cell death， tumor suppression， and prevention of neurondegeneration. Studies using yeast model systems have been instrumental in unlocking the molecular secrets of autophagy since the early 90s; and they remain a major source of new discoveries in the field of autophagy related research. Here we provide a summary of our current knowledge of autophagy in yeasts and a brief introduction to frequently used assays.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2010.06.0001