Progress of researches on the interaction between parasitic infections and host cell autophagy

Abstract

Autophagy, a conserved intracellular degradation system, is a specific life phenomenon in eukaryocytes. Autophagy is widely accepted as a pathway that double-membrane autophagosomes envelop and sequester intracellular cytoplasmic components and then fuse with lysosomes to form autolysosomes, which degrade their contents to regenerate nutrients. Autophagy may be triggered by starvation and a diverse range of pathogens, including parasites. Following infection with intracellular parasites, host cells may eliminate parasites by autophagy. However, parasites may develop self-defense mechanisms, and promote the self-growth and -development by host cell autophagy. This review describes the advances in the interplay between parasitic infections and host cell autophagy. Understanding autophagy is of great significance for the management of parasitic infections and the development of antiparasitic drugs.