Reduced autophagy efficiency induces innate immune activation leading to neurodegeneration

Loss of Frataxin induces iron toxicity, sphingolipid synthesis, and Pdk1/Mef2 activation, leading to neurodegeneration

Mutations in Frataxin (FXN) cause Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), a recessive neurodegenerative disorder. Previous studies have proposed that loss of FXN causes mitochondrial dysfunction, which triggers elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and leads to the demise of neurons. Here we describe a ROS independent mechanism that contributes to neurodegeneration in fly FXN mutants. We show that loss of...

Alum Induces Innate Immune Responses

Autophagy as an Innate Immune Modulator

Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process in eukaryotic cells for maintaining homeostasis by degrading cellular proteins and organelles. Recently, the roles of autophagy have been expanded to immune systems, which in turn modulate innate immune responses. More specifically, autophagy acts as a direct effector for protection against pathogens, as well as a modulator of pathogen recognition and...

The Crustacean Central Nervous System in Focus: Subacute Neurodegeneration Induces a Specific Innate Immune Response

To date nothing is known about the subacute phase of neurodegeneration following injury in invertebrates. Among few clues available are the results published by our group reporting hemocytes and activated glial cells at chronic and acute phases of the lesion. In vertebrates, glial activation and recruitment of immunological cells are crucial events during neurodegeneration. Here, we aimed to st...

Macroautophagy during Innate Immune Activation

Innate immune activation is initiated by recognition of pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Delivery of PAMPs to their respective receptors, regulation of receptor activity, and effector functions downstream from these receptors, which constitute part of the initiated innate immune control, are in part mediated via macroautophagy, an evolutionary conserved pathway for cytoplasmic co...