DIG-MSK (demycarosil-3D-β-D-digitoxosyl mithramycin SK; EC-8042), a novel analogue of mithramycin A, induced autophagy in HCT116 human colon carcinoma and, to a lesser extent, in A2780 human ovarian carcinoma cell lines, which was followed by apoptosis and/or necrotic cell death in a time-dependent way. The effects of DIG-MSK included changes in the expression of a set of genes involved in auto...

The intronic GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72) is a prevalent genetic abnormality identified in both frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Smith-Magenis syndrome chromosomal region candidate gene 8 (SMCR8) is a protein with unclear functions. We report that C9ORF72 is a component of a multiprotein complex cont...

Increasing evidence suggests oxidative damage as a key factor contributing to the failure of the conventional outflow pathway tissue to maintain appropriate levels of intraocular pressure, and thus increase the risk for developing glaucoma, a late-onset disease which is the second leading cause of permanent blindness worldwide. Autophagy is emerging as an essential cellular survival mechanism a...

Citation: Vervliet T (2018) Ryanodine Receptors in Autophagy: Implications for Neurodegenerative Diseases? Front. Cell. Neurosci. 12:89. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00089 Intracellular Ca2+ signaling is important in the regulation of several cellular processes including autophagy. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the main and largest intracellular Ca2+ store. At the ER two protein families of Ca2+...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Acute liver failure (ALF) is a condition with high mortality and morbidity. Fibrosis in chronic liver disease was extensively researched, whereas fibrosis and underlying mechanism in acute liver failure remains unclear. METHODS Hepatitis B virus related ALF patients were recruited to investigate if there was ongoing fibrosis by liver histology and liver stiffness measurement...

Autophagy is an important process in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 9 (CTRP9) closest adiponectin paralog. CTRP9 has anti-aging and anti-atherogenic effects, but its roles autophagy endothelial senescence are currently unknown. This study aimed to evaluate whether prevents palmitic acid (PA)-induced by promoting autophagy. After no treatment or pr...

Autophagy is an important physiological process in the heart, and alterations in autophagic activity can exacerbate or mitigate injury during various pathological processes. Methods to assess autophagy have changed rapidly because the field of research has expanded. As with any new field, methods and standards for data analysis and interpretation evolve as investigators acquire experience and i...

Autophagy is a cytoplasmic degradation system, which is important for starvation adaptation and cellular quality control. Recent advances in understanding autophagy highlight its importance under physiological and pathological conditions. However, methods for monitoring autophagic activity are complicated and the results are sometimes misinterpreted. Here, we review the methods used to identify...

Autophagy is a dynamic intracellular process that mediates the degradation of damaged cytoplasmic components by the lysosome. This process plays important roles in maintaining normal cellular homeostasis and energy balance. Measuring autophagy activity is critical and although the determination of autophagic flux in isolated cells is well documented, there is a need to have reliable and quantit...

Calcium ions (Ca2+) play a complex role in orchestrating diverse cellular processes, including cell death and survival. To trigger signaling cascades, intracellular Ca2+ is shuffled between the cytoplasm and the major Ca2+ stores, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the mitochondria, and the lysosomes. A key role in the control of Ca2+ signals is attributed to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)...