Golgi quality control and autophagy

Organelles can easily be disrupted by intracellular and extracellular factors. Studies on ER and mitochondria indicate that a wide range of responses are elicited upon organelle disruption. One response thought to be of particular importance is autophagy. Cells can target entire organelles into autophagosomes for removal. This wholesale nature makes autophagy a robust means for eliminating compromised organelles. Recently, it was demonstrated that the Golgi apparatus is a substrate of autophagy. On the other hand, various reports have shown that components traffic away from the Golgi for elimination in an autophagosome-independent manner when the Golgi apparatus is stressed. Future studies will reveal how these different pieces of machinery coordinate to drive Golgi degradation. Quantitative measurements will be needed to determine how much autophagy contributes to the maintenance of the Golgi apparatus.

Automated summary

Organelles can be disrupted by various factors, and autophagy is an important response for eliminating compromised organelles. The Golgi apparatus can be targeted for removal through autophagy, but certain components can also be eliminated through autophagosome-independent pathways when the Golgi is stressed. Future studies will investigate the coordination between different mechanisms in driving Golgi degradation and quantify the contribution of autophagy to Golgi maintenance.