How do cells control autophagy during nutrient starvation and stress?

Autophagy is a conserved intracellular degradation pathway that is used by fungi, plants, insects and mammals to respond to starvation and stress. Autophagy can provide nutrients by recycling cellular components, and can protect cells from dysfunctional organelles and invading pathogens by mediating their removal. The autophagosome is a vesicular membrane structure that plays a central role in autophagy by encapsulating material destined for degradation and delivering it to the lysosome. The aim of this project is to understand how the autophagosome is formed in human cells during nutrient starvation and stress conditions including bacterial invasion and mitochondrial dysfunction.