Why do we need to regulate autophagy (and how can we do it)? A cartoon depiction

摘要

In a recent issue of this journal I attempted to explain the purpose of macroautophagy/autophagy to a non-specialist audience through the use of cartoons. In the present article, I am continuing this approach by considering the topic of autophagy regulation-why does the cell need to modulate the autophagic response, and what are the basic morphological mechanisms that can be used to attain different levels of autophagy activity?