Figure 4

Interaction between autophagy and apoptosis. Cellular stressors can lead to mitochondria outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) and subsequent cytochrome c release and apoptosis, while nutrient deficiency or ER stress can cause autophagy activation. Under physiological conditions autophagy and apoptosis keep each other inactive through mutual inhibition. A strong apoptotic stimulus (for example DNA damage, death-receptor stimulation, or cytokine deprivation) can drive a cell into apoptotic 'type I' cell death. If apoptosis is inhibited under such conditions (by caspase knockout or Bax/Bak knockout, [A]), autophagy can become activated and result in a delayed 'type II' cell death through degradation of most cytoplasmic cell components and organelles. Under these circumstances the knockdown of autophagy related genes [B] reduces cell death. Autophagy can become activated through ER stress (for example accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER, intracellular calcium release from the ER) or nutrient deficiency. The cell then ensures survival by enhancing metabolic recycling through autophagy and adapting to the new nutrient conditions. Knockdown of autophagy genes in such a situation leads to an increase in apoptotic 'type I' cell death [C]. The crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis [D] is mediated via proteolytic processing of ATG5, the transcription factor p53, and the binding and subcellular localization of BCL2 family proteins with BH3 domains. For further details, please refer to the references in the text.