autophagy

Question 1

ROLE of Autophagy
protein quality control

Answer 1

It degrades misfolded or aggregated proteins, helping to prevent protein toxicity and maintain protein homeostasis (proteostasis).

Question 2

ROLE
organelle quality control

Answer 2

Autophagy eliminates damaged or surplus organelles, such as mitochondria (mitophagy) and peroxisomes (pexophagy), ensuring the integrity of cellular organelles.

Question 3

nutrient recycling

Answer 3

During nutrient deprivation, autophagy breaks down cellular components to provide essential nutrients and energy for the cell.

Question 4

Immune response

Answer 4

Autophagy contributes to the body’s defense against intracellular pathogens by capturing and degrading them within autophagosomes.

Question 5

what makes yeast a good model organism for Autophagy

Answer 5

Conservation
genetic tractability
high throughput
well characterised

Question 6

for the 4 answers given (yeast as good model organisms for autophagy) give reasons

Answer 6

Yeast, particularly the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast), has been a valuable model system for studying autophagy for several reasons:

Conservation: Many key autophagy genes and pathways are highly conserved from yeast to humans, making yeast a representative model for studying autophagy.
Genetic Tractability: Yeast is genetically tractable, allowing researchers to easily manipulate and study autophagy-related genes and pathways.
High Throughput: Yeast cells can be grown in large quantities and used for high-throughput genetic and biochemical analyses, enabling systematic studies of autophagy.
Well-Characterized: Autophagy in yeast is well-characterized, with established assays for monitoring autophagic activity.

Question 7

tumour suppression- how and why does it help

Answer 7

Autophagy can act as a tumor suppressor mechanism by removing damaged organelles and proteins, preventing genomic instability, and promoting cell death of damaged cells. When autophagy is impaired, cells may accumulate damaged components, which can contribute to tumor initiation.

Question 8

tumour promotion- how and why
no understanding of dangerous cell type?

Answer 8

In established tumors, autophagy can promote tumor cell survival and growth by providing nutrients and energy during periods of stress, such as nutrient deprivation or hypoxia. This pro-survival role of autophagy can enhance the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Question 9

aiding huntington’s disease

Answer 9

In Huntington’s disease, an abnormal expansion of the huntingtin protein leads to protein aggregates that impair autophagy.
Autophagic dysfunction contributes to the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates and neuronal cell death.

Question 10

Autophagic dysfunction

Answer 10

Autophagic dysfunction contributes to the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates and neuronal cell death.

Question 11

huntington’s disease and parkinsons
-how autophagy is effected

Answer 11

dysfunctional autophagy causes these diseases
-not just this but..
protein accumulates, Huntingtons
damaged mito-autophagy-> accumulation of toxic material (usually would be disposed of)