ABSTRACT
Numerous studies have established a link between autophagy and aging; however, the relationship has not been clearly defined. Aging is a very complex process caused by the accumulation of various factors due to the gradual failure of cellular maintenance. Recent studies have shown that autophagy reduces the stress responses induced by starvation, reactive oxygen species, and the accumulation of intracellular proteins and organelles through cytoprotection, clearance of damaged mitochondria, and lysosomal degradation. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the relationship between autophagy and the aging process.
Subject(s)
Aging , Autophagy , Caloric Restriction , Cytoprotection , Mitochondria , Organelles , Proteins , Reactive Oxygen Species , StarvationABSTRACT
Numerous studies have established a link between autophagy and aging; however, the relationship has not been clearly defined. Aging is a very complex process caused by the accumulation of various factors due to the gradual failure of cellular maintenance. Recent studies have shown that autophagy reduces the stress responses induced by starvation, reactive oxygen species, and the accumulation of intracellular proteins and organelles through cytoprotection, clearance of damaged mitochondria, and lysosomal degradation. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the relationship between autophagy and the aging process.
Subject(s)
Aging , Autophagy , Caloric Restriction , Cytoprotection , Mitochondria , Organelles , Proteins , Reactive Oxygen Species , StarvationABSTRACT
Autophagy is a self-degradation system of cellular components through an autophagosomal-lysosomal pathway. Over the last 15 yr, yeast genetic screens led to the identification of a number of genes involved in the autophagic pathway. Most of these autophagy genes are present in higher eukaryotes and regulate autophagy process for cell survival and homeostasis. Significant progress has recently been made to better understand the molecular mechanisms of the autophagy machinery. Especially, autophagy process, including the regulation of autophagy induction through mTOR and the nucleation and elongation in autophagosome formation through class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex and ubiquitin-like conjugation systems, became evident. While many unanswered questions remain to be answered, here, we summarize the recent process of autophagy with emphasis on molecules and their protein complexes along with advanced molecular mechanisms that regulate the autophagy machinery.
Subject(s)
Humans , Autophagy/genetics , Carrier Proteins/genetics , Class III Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Membrane Proteins/genetics , Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics , Models, Biological , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics , Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins/geneticsABSTRACT
Clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) are involved in protein and lipid trafficking between intracellular compartments in eukaryotic cells. CCVs are composed of clathrin and assembly proteins. The clathrin assembly protein lymphoid myeloid leukemia (CALM) gene, encodes a homologoue of the neuronal clathrin assembly protein AP180. In this study, we characterized the properties of the CALM expressed in E. coli. The molecular weight of bacterially expressed GST-CALM fusion protein was approximately 105 kD on SDS-PAGE. The CALM protein could promote clathrin triskelia into clathrin cages and could bind the preformed clathrin cage. However, 33 kD N-terminal domain of CALM could not bind pre-assembled clathrin cages, but assemble clathrin triskelia into clathrin cages. The CALM protein was bound to SH3 domain through N-terminal domain1, in vitro. The CALM protein is proteolyzed by caspase 3, caspase 8 and calpain through C-terminal domain.