Macroautophagy is the major inducible pathway for the general turnover of cytoplasmic constituents in eukaryotic cells, it is also responsible for the degradation of active cytoplasmic enzymes and organelles during nutrient starvation. Macroautophagy involves the formation of double-membrane bound autophagosomes which enclose the cytoplasmic constituent targeted for degradation in a membrane bound structure, which then fuse with the lysosome (or vacuole) releasing a single-membrane bound autophagic bodies which are then degraded within the lysosome (or vacuole). APG5, required for autophagy, conjugates to ATG12 and associates with an isolation membrane to form a cup-shaped isolation membrane and autophagosome. The conjugate detaches from the membrane immediately before or after autophagosome formation is completed. APG5 may also play an important role in the apoptotic process, possibly within the modified cytoskeleton. Its expression is a relatively late event in the apoptotic process, occurring downstream of caspase activity.

HUMAN

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