Interactions of Pathogenic Bacteria with Autophagy Systems

Autophagy is a conserved cellular degradative pathway that is now established to be a vital part of the host immune response to microbial infection. Autophagy can directly eliminate intracellular pathogens by mediating their delivery to lysosomes. Canonical autophagy is characterized by the formation of a double-membrane autophagosome and the involvement of over 35 autophagy-related proteins (Atgs), including a commonly used autophagosome marker in mammalian cells, LC3. Recent studies have shown that a subset of autophagy components can lead to LC3 conjugation onto phagosomes. This process of LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) results in the degradation of the cargo by promoting phagosome fusion with lysosomes. Other components of the autophagy machinery also play roles in immunity that are distinct from the canonical autophagy and LAP pathways. This minireview highlights the complicated relationship between autophagy components and intracellular bacteria, including bacterial targeting mechanisms and the interaction between autophagy and effectors/toxins secreted by bacteria.