title: Bacterial evasion of the autophagic defense system.
abstract: Autophagy is a conserved membrane-traffic pathway in eukaryotic cells that sequesters cytoplasmic components and delivers them to lysosomes. Recent research indicates that the degradation of undesirable or recyclable cytoplasmic components and organelles through autophagy plays a pivotal role as an intracellular surveillance system for recognition and eradication of pathogens that have invaded the cytoplasm. Many invasive bacteria, however, have highly evolved mechanisms to circumvent cellular autophagy. Indeed, recent reports describe intracellular pathogens as being capable of subverting or modifying autophagy activation and persisting within autophagosomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
authors.forename: Michinaga
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sasakawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000382:microbiology; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000382:microbiology*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000382:microbiology