title: Lysosomal degradation of intracellular nucleic acids-multiple autophagic pathways.
abstract: Cell metabolism can be considered as a process of serial construction and destruction of cellular components, both of which must be regulated accurately. In eukaryotic cells, a variety of cellular components are actively delivered into lysosomes/vacuoles, specialized compartments for hydrolysis of macromolecules. Such processes of 'self-eating' are called autophagy. Despite a wide variety of lysosomal/vacuolar hydrolases, much of the interest has been focused on the proteolytic functions of autophagy and less attention has been devoted to the degradation of other macromolecules such as nucleic acids. In this review, we focus on delivery and degradation of endogenous nucleic acids by autophagic systems, and discuss their molecular mechanisms and physiological/pathophysiological roles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kabuta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000071182:Autophagosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids
keywords: DNA; RNA; autophagy; lysosome; nucleic acid