自噬与神经退行性疾病

基础水平的自噬在清除异常积聚的蛋白质、长寿命蛋白以及受损细胞器、维持细胞内稳态和细胞生存中扮演重要角色。自噬过程受到一系列复杂信号分子的调控,使胞内物质被双层膜结构的自噬小体包裹,自噬小体与溶酶体融合而降解。自噬功能的缺陷与神经退行性疾病如阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病、亨廷顿病等有重要联系,这些疾病的明显特点就是大脑神经元内蛋白的异常积聚。因神经元为不可再生细胞,所以通过自噬清除神经元内蛋白的异常积聚、维持神经元正常功能就显得格外重要。

Autophagy and neurodegeneration

Basal autophagy plays an important role in cellular homeostasis that is via the degradation of aggregate-prone protein,long-lived protein and damaged organelles.The processes of autophagy is controlled by complex signaling pathways.Cytoplasmic components are enclosed by double-membrane autophagosomes,which subsequently fuse with lysosomes for degradation.Autophagy dysfunction contributes to the pathology of various neurodegenerative disorders,such as Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson disease,Huntington disease....