Cells 2012, 1(3), 449-463; doi:10.3390/cells1030449
Role of Macroautophagy in Nutrient Homeostasis During Fungal Development and Pathogenesis
Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
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Received: 2 May 2012 / Revised: 7 June 2012 / Accepted: 17 July 2012 / Published: 2 August 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Autophagy)
Abstract
Macroautophagy is a non-selective, bulk degradation process conserved in eukaryotes. Response to starvation stress and/or regulation of nutrient breakdown/utilization is the major intracellular function of macroautophagy. Recent studies have revealed requirement for autophagy in diverse functions such as nutrient homeostasis, organelle degradation and programmed cell death in filamentous fungal pathogens, for proper morphogenesis and differentiation during critical steps of infection. In this review, we aim to summarize the physiological functions of autophagy in fungal virulence, with an emphasis on nutrient homeostasis in opportunistic human fungal pathogens and in the rice-blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. We briefly summarize the role of autophagy on the host side: for resistance to, or subversion by, the pathogens. View Full-TextKeywords:
autophagy; degradation; metabolism; fungi; pathogen; ROS
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MDPI and ACS Style
Deng, Y.; Qu, Z.; Naqvi, N.I. Role of Macroautophagy in Nutrient Homeostasis During Fungal Development and Pathogenesis. Cells 2012, 1, 449-463.