Where do they come from? Insights into autophagosome formation.

Autophagosomes (APs) are unique organelles that enwrap cytoplasmic components when necessary. APs then fuse with lysosomes and enclosed materials are degraded. Although approximately 30 autophagy-related genes (ATG) required for AP formation have been identified, fundamental questions on the membrane source or dynamics during the formation remain unresolved. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the putative membrane sources identified to date. Copyright 2010 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.