nfectious Agents and Autophagy: Sometimes you Win, Sometimes you Lose

PATRICIA SILVIA ROMANO

Autophagy - A double-edged sword - Cell survival or death?

InTech

Lugar: Rijeka; Año: 2013; p. 1 - 512

Successful microorganisms are those that can evade the immune responses of the host. To reach this purpose, many pathogens evolved as intracellular organisms acquiring the capacity to live and to develop inside cells. This cellular parasitism carries many benefits to pathogens such as protection from circulating antibodies or free access to nutritive compounds. On the other hand, in response to this level of adaptation, mammalian cells have developed different process to eliminate these microorganisms or maintain them under strictly control. Host autophagy is a component of the innate responses against intracellular pathogens that functions in some circumstances as a second barrier when phagocytic or other defense mechanisms are exceeded. The re-route of mycobacterium-containing phagosomes to lysosomes through autophagy exemplifies this concept. However, some pathogens take advantage of the autophagic response. They have the capacity to interact with specific compartments of this pathway to favor their intracellular cycle. The quickly generation of Coxiella vacuoles or the increased level of Trypanosoma cruzi colonization of cells under induced autophagy are examples of how some pathogens are benefited when the autophagic pathway is activated.