Figure 3.

Epigenetic regulation of autophagy in cancer cells. Epigenetic actors and their action on autophagy and cell death are summarized in this figure. A direct transcriptional regulation could be mediated by epigenetic modifiers to promote or inhibit ATG-related genes. An indirect regulation can also be mediated by histones deacetylases and their action on the autophagy process and ROS production. (A) Effects of autophagy inducers/inhibitors or ROS on autophagy-linked cell death or survival; (B) Effects of HDACi and acetylation/deacetylation signaling on autophagy-linked cell death or survival; (C) Effects of histone and DNA methylation regulation and histone ubiquitinylation on autophagy-linked cell death or survival. Inhibitors and miRNA specific of epigenetic modifiers are indicated when their roles have been described in the regulation of autophagy. Arrows represent a positive action on the target whereas bar-headed arrows represent an inhibition. Dotted lines are indicated when the action on the target seems indirect. (clear green: inhibitors; yellow: HDACs; blue: HMTs, pink: HATs; grey: HDMs, purple: other epigenetic proteins).