Autophagy and 2016 Nobel Prize
The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was given to Yoshinori Ohsumi for his discoveries into the mechanisms of autophagy.
About Autophagy
Autophagy also known as ‘self-eating’ is a process in which cells degrade and recycle their components. In the 1960s, early work on autophagy stated that cells could destroy their contents before being degraded, in lyosomes. Every cell in our body has separate, specialised compartments. The lysosomes contain the necessary enzymes which are needed to digest the contents of the cell such as proteins and organelles.
There is a type of vesicle or sac, called as autophagosome, which forms and ‘eats’ these contents before combining with the lysosome to degrade them into smaller pieces. This gives the cells the nutrients which helps it to renew.
Therefore, in simple words, autophagy provides the necessary fuel for energy and building blocks for renewal of cells. After infection, autophagy can destroy bacteria and viruses and it contributes to embryo development as well cell differentiation.
Also, the cells use autophagy in order to get rid of damaged proteins and organelles. This would be termed as the “quality control mechanism” which is necessary to counter the negative effects of ageing on the body.
Autophagy as an essential mechanism in cells
Autophagy is an important mechanism in our body which helps to control important physiological functions wherein cellular components need to be degraded and recycled. Further, Autophagy can rapidly provide fuel for energy and building blocks for renewal of cellular components, and is therefore essential for the cellular response to starvation and other types of stress. Also after infection, autophagy can help to eliminate the invading intracellular bacteria and viruses. Autophagy contributes to embryo development and cell differentiation. Also the cells use autophagy in order to eliminate damaged proteins and organelles which is a quality control mechanism that is critical for counteracting the negative consequences of aging.
A disrupted autophagy has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes and other disorders that appear in older people. Also mutations in autophagy genes can cause genetic disease. Further, disturbances in the autophagic machinery have also been linked to cancer.
About work of Yoshinori Ohsumi
Yoshinori Ohsumi was born 1945 in Fukuoka, Japan. He has received the 2016 Nobel Prize in medicine for Autophagy. Ohsumi’s discovery has led to a new understanding of how the cell recycles its content. His discovery has opened the path to understand the fundamental importance of autophagy in many physiological processes, such as in the adaptation to starvation or response to infection. Also mutations in autophagy genes can cause diseases, and the autophagic process is involved in several conditions including cancer and neurological disease. Degradation and the processing of waste is a vital mechanism of our body. Ohsumi’s work will enable to alter the backdrop of medicine in the 21st century, and will enable people to longer and healthier lives. His research will be a foundation to develop ways of dealing with bacteria and viruses. Also it could provide new ways of fighting Diabetes and a host of other diseases like cancer.
