Autophagy, an evolutionally conserved homeostatic process for catabolizing cytoplasmic components, has been implicated in the elimination of intracellular pathogens during mammalian innate immune responses. However, the mechanisms underlying cytoplasmic infection-induced autophagy, and the role of autophagy in host survival against intracellular pathogens are unknown. Here we report that in drosophila, recognition of diaminopimelic acid-type peptidoglycans by the pattern recognition receptor PGRP-LE is crucial for the induction of autophagy, and that autophagy prevents the intracellular growth of Listeria monocytogenes and promotes host survival against this infection. Autophagy induction occurs independently of the Toll and IMD innate signaling pathways. These findings define a clear pathway leading from the intracellular pattern recognition receptors to the induction of autophagy to host defense.

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