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Nature Cell Biology 10, 759–761 (1 July 2008) | doi:10.1038/ncb0708-759

UVRAG reveals its second nature

Karolina Peplowska , Margarita Cabrera & Christian Ungermann

Autophagy is a catabolic process that is stimulated by starvation and directs portions of the cytoplasm and organelles to the lysosome; here, they are degraded to provide the energy essential for cell survival, therefore contributing to cell homeostasis. Autophagy is also involved in a variety of other processes ranging from cell growth and development to programmed cell death and is often misregulated in human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.