Editorial
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World J Biol Chem. Jan 26, 2010; 1(1): 3-12
Published online Jan 26, 2010. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v1.i1.3
Role of autophagy in liver physiology and pathophysiology
Wen-Xing Ding
Wen-Xing Ding, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Medical Center, MS 1018, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, Kansas, KS 66160, United States
Author contributions: Ding WX solely contributed to this paper.
Supported by NIH R21 AA017421& P20 RR021940& P20 RR016475 from the INBRE program of the National Center for Research Resources (Ding WX)
Correspondence to: Wen-Xing Ding, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Medical Center, MS 1018, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas, KS 66160, United States. wxding@kumc.edu
Telephone: +1-913-5889813 Fax: +1-913-5887501
Received: December 25, 2009
Revised: January 8, 2009
Accepted: January 15, 2009
Published online: January 26, 2010
Abstract

Autophagy is a highly conserved intracellular degradation pathway by which bulk cytoplasm and superfluous or damaged organelles are enveloped by double membrane structures termed autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes for degradation of their contents, and the resulting amino acids can then recycle back to the cytosol. Autophagy is normally activated in response to nutrient deprivation and other stressors and occurs in all eukaryotes. In addition to maintaining energy and nutrient balance in the liver, it is now clear that autophagy plays a role in liver protein aggregates related diseases, hepatocyte cell death, steatohepatitis, hepatitis virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, I discuss the recent findings of autophagy with a focus on its role in liver pathophysiology.

Keywords: Autophagy; Mitophagy; Lipophagy; Alcohol liver