The impact of autophagy on peripheral synapses in health and disease.
Alterations of autophagy have been linked to several peripheral nervous system diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Modulation of autophagy by metabolic or pharmacological interventions has been increasingly recognized as a strategy to fight many of these disorders. Cellular processes that are aberrant in case of impaired autophagy and that might lead to these diseases belong to three different categories: (1) clearing of protein aggregates, (2) regulation of vesicle and cargo turnover, and (3) disposal of damaged mitochondria. This review summarizes the present literature that addresses both, the impact and mechanisms of autophagy on the health of the peripheral nervous system and treatment proposals for human disorders associated with impaired autophagy.
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Science, Paul-Wittsack-Strasse 10, 68163 Mannheim, Germany and Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg/Germany, r.rudolf@hs-mannheim.de.
Rudiger
R
Rudolf
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Science, Paul-Wittsack-Strasse 10, 68163 Mannheim, Germany and Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg/Germany.
Muzamil Majid
MM
Khan
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Mannheim University of Applied Science, Paul-Wittsack-Strasse 10, 68163 Mannheim, Germany and Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg/Germany.
Franziska
F
Wild
Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, Fahrstrasse 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Said
S
Hashemolhosseini
D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D002607:Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D066263:Protein Aggregation, Pathological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*