LC3 - Autophagy

Autophagy is a physiological degradation process of cellular components which has largely positive effects on cells by degrading old cellular components and thereby allowing the production of new components. Autophagy activation by either drugs, restriction of nutrients or physical exercise is linked to the delay of the aging of several tissues and to the increased longevity. In dermatology, autophagy declines with age and it is being presented as one of the most promising mechanisms for delaying aging. The autophagy process is also extremely relevant for cancer, playing a dual role promoting or suppressing tumorigenesis, depending on the tumor context.

At Fusiona, we measure autophagy by targeting autophagosomes, which are the structures in the cell that enclose the cellular components that will be degraded. Cells that express the autophagosome marker protein LC3 fused to the fluorescent protein GFP allow us to track the number of autophagosomes in living cells.