Autophagy in Development, Cell Differentiation, and Homeodynamics: From Molecular Mechanisms to Diseases and Pathophysiology

摘要

The focus of this special issue is to highlight the role of autophagy in cellular homeodynamics, cell differentiation, and development with an outlook to diseases. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process where cyto-plasmic components are sequestered into double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes, which then fuse with lyso-somes and their content is degraded. Despite the significant progress observed over recent years in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of autophagy, the elucidation of its role in developmental processes still remains a challenge for the scientific community. Given the role of autophagy in pathophysiology and diseases, it is essential to uncover how the mechanisms of autophagy function during developmental processes in the context of tissue and organismal physiology.