Mechanisms and regulation of autophagosome formation

Autophagy is an intracellular pathway for the bulk degradation of cytoplasmic substances such as cytosol, protein aggregates and organelles. Autophagy is characterized by the formation of double-membrane bound vesicles called autophagosomes, which engulf the cargo and transport it to the vacuole/lysosome for breakdown and recycling. Even though several proteins in this pathway have been identified, little is known about the mechanism of action of these proteins during autophagosome biogenesis. In this review we briefly discuss recent findings on the molecular players and mechanisms involved in autophagosome formation. In particular, we will focus on the mechanisms regulating membrane recruitment as well as membrane remodeling during autophagosome formation.