Unveiling the roles of autophagy in innate and adaptive immunity

Unveiling the roles of autophagy in innate and adaptive immunity

3 September 2007 | Beth Levine* and Vojo Deretic*
The article reviews the role of autophagy in innate and adaptive immunity. Autophagy is an ancient cellular process that degrades intracellular components, including pathogens, to recycle nutrients and maintain cellular homeostasis. It is now recognized as a crucial mechanism in the immune response to bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections. The review highlights how autophagy can degrade intracellular pathogens, deliver endogenous antigens to MHC-II-loading compartments, direct viral nucleic acids to Toll-like receptors, and regulate T-cell homeostasis. The molecular mechanisms of autophagy, including the involvement of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) and signaling pathways like mTOR and PI3K, are discussed. The article also explores the role of autophagy in bacterial and parasitic defense, viral defense, antigen presentation, and T-cell homeostasis. Additionally, it touches on the potential link between autophagy and inflammation or autoimmunity. The authors emphasize the bidirectional relationship between autophagy and immunity, where immune signals can enhance or inhibit autophagy, and vice versa. The review concludes by highlighting the emerging importance of autophagy in various immune functions and the need for further research to fully understand its role in immunity.The article reviews the role of autophagy in innate and adaptive immunity. Autophagy is an ancient cellular process that degrades intracellular components, including pathogens, to recycle nutrients and maintain cellular homeostasis. It is now recognized as a crucial mechanism in the immune response to bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections. The review highlights how autophagy can degrade intracellular pathogens, deliver endogenous antigens to MHC-II-loading compartments, direct viral nucleic acids to Toll-like receptors, and regulate T-cell homeostasis. The molecular mechanisms of autophagy, including the involvement of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) and signaling pathways like mTOR and PI3K, are discussed. The article also explores the role of autophagy in bacterial and parasitic defense, viral defense, antigen presentation, and T-cell homeostasis. Additionally, it touches on the potential link between autophagy and inflammation or autoimmunity. The authors emphasize the bidirectional relationship between autophagy and immunity, where immune signals can enhance or inhibit autophagy, and vice versa. The review concludes by highlighting the emerging importance of autophagy in various immune functions and the need for further research to fully understand its role in immunity.
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