SUMMARY The physiologic importance of autophagy proteins for control of mammalian bacterial and parasitic infection in vivo is unknown. We show that expression of the essential autophagy protein Atg5 in granulocytes and macrophages is required for in vivo resistance to infection with L. monocytogenes and T. gondii. In primary macrophages, Atg5 was not required for IFNγ/LPS-mediated transcription, induction of nitric oxide, or inhibition of T. gondii replication. However, Atg5 was required for IFNγ/LPS-induced damage to the T. gondii parasitophorous vacuole membrane and parasite clearance. While we did not detect autophagosomes enveloping T. gondii, Atg5 was required for recruitment of the IFNγ-inducible p47 GTPase IIGP1 (Irga6) to the vacuole membrane. This work shows that Atg5 expression in phagocytic cells is essential for cellular immunity to intracellular pathogens in vivo and that an autophagy protein can participate in immunity and intracellular killing of pathogens via autophagosome-independent processes such as GTPase trafficking.

There are three types of cell death; apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. The possibility that activation of the macroautophagy (autophagy) pathway may increase beta cell death is addressed in this study. Increased autophagy was present in pancreatic islets from Pdx1 ؉/؊ mice with reduced insulin secretion and beta cell mass. Pdx1 expression was reduced in mouse insulinoma 6 (MIN6) cells by delivering small hairpin RNAs using a lentiviral vector. The MIN6 cells died after 7 days of Pdx1 deficiency, and autophagy was evident prior to the onset of cell death. Inhibition of autophagy prolonged cell survival and delayed cell death. Nutrient deprivation increased autophagy in MIN6 cells and mouse and human islets after starvation. Autophagy inhibition partly prevented amino acid starvation-induced MIN6 cell death. The in vivo effects of reduced autophagy were studied by crossing Pdx1 ؉/؊ mice to Normal pancreatic beta cell function is essential for normal glucose tolerance, and abnormal beta cell function leads to glucose intolerance and diabetes. A progressive reduction in beta cell mass has been shown to occur in the evolution of diabetes (1). Thus understanding the mechanisms responsible for the reduction in beta cell mass is important for understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes and in developing novel approaches to prevention and treatment.There are three types of cell death; apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy (2). Previous studies have focused on apoptosis as the mechanism underlying beta cell death (1, 3-5). The possibility that activation of the macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy) pathway may increase beta cell death has not been systematically studied. Autophagy is a regulated lysosomal pathway leading to the degradation and recycling of longlived proteins and organelles. During autophagy, cytoplasmic constituents are sequestered into autophagosomes with double membranes and fused to lysosomes (autolysosomes), where degradation occurs. Under certain circumstances such as in response to nutrient deprivation, autophagy may function as a pro-survival pathway by mediating cellular turnover of proteins and organelles (6 -8). On the other hand, an increase in autophagy can cause autophagic cell death distinct from apoptosis (9, 10). It has been suggested that autophagy plays a key role in the turnover of insulin secretory granules and of mitochondria within the beta cell, thereby regulating insulin secretion (11,12). Complete genetic ablation of Atg7 in beta cells resulted in degradation of islets and impaired glucose tolerance, suggesting that "basal autophagy" is important for maintenance of normal islet architecture and function (13,14).The present study was designed to determine whether activation of autophagy can contribute to pancreatic beta cell death that occurs with reduced expression of Pdx1 (pancreas duodenal homeobox 1). We chose to study Pdx1 deficiency because this homeodomain-containing transcription factor is essential for normal pancreatic beta cell function and survival. Complete...

Genetic ablation of calcium-independent phospholipase

Gap junction number and size vary widely in cardiac tissues with disparate conduction properties. Little is known about how tissue-specific patterns of intercellular junctions are established and regulated. To elucidate the relationship between gap junction channel protein expression and the structure of gap junctions, we analyzed Cx43 +/- mice, which have a genetic deficiency in expression of the major ventricular gap junction protein, connexin43 (Cx43). Quantitative confocal immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that diminished Cx43 signal in Cx43 +/- mice was due almost entirely to a reduction in the number of individual gap junctions (226 +/- 52 vs. 150 +/- 32 individual gap junctions/field in Cx43 +/+ and +/- ventricles, respectively; P < 0.05). The mean size of an individual gap junction was the same in both groups. Immunofluorescence results were confirmed with electron microscopic morphometry. Thus when connexin expression is diminished, ventricular myocytes become interconnected by a reduced number of large, normally sized gap junctions, rather than a normal number of smaller junctions. Maintenance of large gap junctions may be an adaptive response supporting safe ventricular conduction.