TY - JOUR
T1 - The Role of Autophagy in Mammalian Development
T2 - Cell Makeover Rather than Cell Death
AU - Cecconi, Francesco
AU - Levine, Beth
PY - 2008/9/16
Y1 - 2008/9/16
N2 - Autophagy is important for the degradation of bulk cytoplasm, long-lived proteins, and entire organelles. In lower eukaryotes, autophagy functions as a cell death mechanism or as a stress response during development. However, autophagy's significance in vertebrate development, and the role (if any) of vertebrate-specific factors in its regulation, remains unexplained. Through careful analysis of the current autophagy gene mutant mouse models, we propose that in mammals, autophagy may be involved in specific cytosolic rearrangements needed for proliferation, death, and differentiation during embryogenesis and postnatal development. Thus, autophagy is a process of cytosolic "renovation," crucial in cell fate decisions.
AB - Autophagy is important for the degradation of bulk cytoplasm, long-lived proteins, and entire organelles. In lower eukaryotes, autophagy functions as a cell death mechanism or as a stress response during development. However, autophagy's significance in vertebrate development, and the role (if any) of vertebrate-specific factors in its regulation, remains unexplained. Through careful analysis of the current autophagy gene mutant mouse models, we propose that in mammals, autophagy may be involved in specific cytosolic rearrangements needed for proliferation, death, and differentiation during embryogenesis and postnatal development. Thus, autophagy is a process of cytosolic "renovation," crucial in cell fate decisions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=51449085299&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.devcel.2008.08.012
DO - 10.1016/j.devcel.2008.08.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 18804433
AN - SCOPUS:51449085299
VL - 15
SP - 344
EP - 357
JO - Developmental Cell
JF - Developmental Cell
SN - 1534-5807
IS - 3
ER -