Marine Compounds and Autophagy: Beginning of a New Era

摘要

In 2016, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Prof. Yoshinori Ohsumi for theelucidation of the mechanisms of autophagy. Autophagy (in particular, the so called macroautophagy)is a basic cellular catabolic “self-eating” process which leads to selective or non-selective bulkdegradation of organelles and proteins by the lysosome system [1]. Apart from natural stimuli,it can result from cellular stress, e.g., nutrient deprivation or exposure to toxins [2]. It includes theformation of double-membrane vesicles (autophagosomes) that later fuse with lysosomes, leading tothe degradation and recycling of sequestered contents [1]. This cellular process is implicated in manyaspects of cell physiology and plays a particular role in the survival and death of mammalian cells. It ishighly important in maintaining tissue homeostasis, and is involved in the pathophysiology of humandiseases ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative conditions (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease),cardiomyopathy, and others. From a therapeutic point of view, it is an exciting perspective to find anddevelop compounds that have the ability to control and modify this process. In the cellular context, thebiological effect of autophagy can be either cytotoxic (programmed cell death type II), cytoprotective,cytostatic, or even non-protective (meaning that it does not affect cell viability or the sensitivity ofcells to certain drugs) [3]. At present, autophagy has been much less studied in comparison with otherbasic biological processes like apoptosis (programmed cell death type I). However, in recent years,the critical role of autophagy in a number of physiological events has become clearer, which has gaineda lot of attention for the field.