Studying autophagy

Question 1

What is autophagic flux?

Answer 1

The process of autophagy from initiation to fusion

Question 2

What are 2 ways model changes in autophagy related to a disease?

Answer 2

Knockout genes or autophagy inhibitors that knock out/block specific steps in autophagy

Question 3

What are 3 markers of the progression of autophagy?

Answer 3

1. LC-3
2. Autophagosomes under electron microscope
3. P62 levels

Question 4

Why is P62 a marker of autophagic flux?

Answer 4

Its levels consistently increase as autophagy progresses

Question 5

Why is LC-3 a marker of autophagic flux?

Answer 5

It’s originally translated into LC3-I, then later on in autophagy, gets cleaved into LC3-II. If 1 is being converted to 2, that’s an indication of autophagic flux

Question 6

What drug is commonly used to assess autophagic flux? How does it work?

Answer 6

Bafilomycin A1. It blocks one of the last steps of autophagy, so that autophagic flux can clearly be seen through the accumulation of LC3-II