Redox Control of Autophagy in Photosynthetic Organisms

Abstract

Autophagy is a major catabolic pathway by which eukaryotic cells deliver unnecessary or damaged cytoplasmic material to the vacuole for its degra-dation and recycling in order to maintain cellular homeostasis. Mounting evidence suggests the existence of a strong link between autophagy and the production of reactive oxygen species in several systems. Here, we review recent studies in algae and plants describing redox control of autophagy and discuss the conserved regu-latory proteins that may transmit redox signals to the autophagic machinery.