Figure 4. Overview of the role of macroautophagy in the nervous system in health and neurodegeneration.

Autophagy is fundamental to sustain the homoeostasis and function of the CNS. Perturbations in the macroautophagy pathway at different stages have been observed during neurodegeneration and distinct disease-associated genes are also key contributors to macroautophagy dysfunction. Defective autophagy compromises protein clearance and organelle turnover, leading to the accumulation of toxic proteins and damaged cellular components that finally alter neuronal function and induce neuronal loss.