Fig. 1.

Autophagy mechanism. The autophagy mechanism and the different molecular complexes involved in the process are presented. In response to different stimuli such as mTORC1 inactivation, autophagy is initiated through the action of the ULK1 complex and the class III PI3K complex. A phagophore is generated in the cytosol to isolate damaged organelles, aggregates and proteins. The ATG12 conjugation system and the LC3 conjugation system are then involved in the elongation and closure of the phagophore, leading to autophagosome formation. Finally, the autophagosome fuses with lysosomes to degrade the material which will then be recycled.