title: Autophagy response: manipulating the mTOR-controlled machinery by amino acids and pathogens.
abstract: Macroautophagy is a self-degradative process that normally maintains cellular homeostasis via a lysosomal pathway. It is induced by different stress signals, including nutrients and growth factors' restriction as well as pathogen invasions. These stimuli are modulated by the serine/threonine protein kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) which control not only autophagy but also protein translation and gene expression. This review focuses on the important role of mTOR as a master regulator of cell growth and the autophagy pathway. Here, we have discussed the role of intracellular amino acid availability and intracellular pH in the redistribution of autophagic structures, which may contribute to mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity regulation. We have also discussed that mTORC1 complex and components of the autophagy machinery are localized at the lysosomal surface, representing a fascinating mechanism to control the metabolism, cellular clearance and also to restrain invading intracellular pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología (IHEM)-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Casilla de Correo 56, Centro Universitario, Parque General San Martín, (5500), Mendoza, Argentina.
authors.forename: Claudio Marcelo
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fader
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología (IHEM)-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Casilla de Correo 56, Centro Universitario, Parque General San Martín, (5500), Mendoza, Argentina.
authors.forename: Milton Osmar
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología (IHEM)-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Casilla de Correo 56, Centro Universitario, Parque General San Martín, (5500), Mendoza, Argentina. mcolombo@fcm.uncu.edu.ar.
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Colombo
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: Amino acids; Autophagy; LC3; Pathogens; mTOR