Autophagy-like processes are involved in lipid droplet degradation in Auxenochlorella protothecoides during the heterotrophy-autotrophy transition.

ABSTRACT: Autophagy is a cellular degradation process that recycles cytoplasmic components in eukaryotes. Although intensively studied in yeast, plants, and mammals, autophagy in microalgae is not well understood. Auxenochlorella protothecoides is a green microalga that has the ability to grow either autotrophically when under light or heterotrophically when in media containing glucose. The two growth modes are inter-convertible and transition between them is accompanied by drastic changes in morphology and cellular composition; however, the mechanisms underlying these changes are unknown. In this study, we identified autophagy-related genes and characterized their roles in the degradation of lipid droplets during the heterotrophy-to-autotrophy (HA) transition in A. protothecoides. Most of the prote

SUBMITTER: Zhao L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4132264 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature