Autophagy allows cells to encapsulate parts of their cytosol into unique double-membrane structures. These autophagosomes mature to fuse with lysosomes and deliver the enclosed contents for degradation. Three recent papers, including one by Takáts et al. (2013. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201211160), have taken different routes to discover a role for Syntaxin 17 in the maturation of autophagosomes.
Helmut Krämer. Route to destruction: autophagosomes SNARE lysosomes. The Journal of cell biology. 2013 May 13;201(4):495-7
PMID: 23671308
View Full Text