Chaperone-mediated autophagy: machinery, regulation and biological consequences.

Wenming Li, Qian Yang, Zixu Mao

Departments of Pharmacology and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 2011 Mar

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Degradation of dysfunctional intracellular components in the lysosome system can occur through three different pathways, i.e., macroautophagy, microautophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). In this review, we focus on CMA, a type of autophagy distinct from the other two autophagic pathways owing to its selectivity, saturability and competitivity by which a subset of long-lived cytosolic soluble proteins are directly delivered into the lysosomal lumen via specific receptors. CMA participates in quality control to maintain normal cell functions by clearing "old" proteins and provides energy to cells under nutritional stress. Deregulation of CMA has recently been shown to underlie some diseases, especially neurodegenerative disorders for which the decline with age in the activity of CMA may become a major aggravating factor. Therefore, targeting aberrant alteration in CMA under pathological conditions could serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for treating related diseases.

Citation

Wenming Li, Qian Yang, Zixu Mao. Chaperone-mediated autophagy: machinery, regulation and biological consequences. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS. 2011 Mar;68(5):749-63