Autophagy and iron homeostasis

Iron is an essential nutrient to life. However, the ability of iron to cycle between the oxidized and reduced forms contributes to the formation of reactive oxygen species. The generation of free radicals leads to oxidative stress and the initiation of signaling pathways involved in cell survival or cell death. The iron homeostasis is very carefully regulated and dysregulation of iron metabolism contributes to various human pathologies. The work carried out in recent years has revealed new cellular processes and mechanisms like ferritinophagy, that deepen our understanding of iron homeostasis. Ferritinophagy is a form of selective macroautophagy whereby ferritin, an iron storage protein, is degraded in the lysosome. Here, we describe iron homeostasis and review recent discoveries regarding the mechanism of ferritinophagy and its relationship to a new form of cell-death iron-dependent, the ferroptosis.