Ubiquitination-mediated autophagy against invading bacteria

Autophagy is primarily a non-selective intracellular bulk degradation process. However, it was recently shown that ubiquitin-positive substrates, such as protein aggregates, mitochondria, peroxisomes, and invading bacteria, are selectively targeted to lysosomes via autophagy. Thus, ubiquitination seems to function as a general tag for selective autophagy in mammalian cells. This review discusses the present model of how autophagy sequesters invading bacteria through ubiquitination.

► Invading bacteria colocalize with poly-ubiquitinated proteins.
► Ubiquitination seems to function as a general tag for selective autophagy in mammalian cells.
► This review discusses the present model of how autophagy sequesters invading bacteria through ubiquitination.