Non-canonical Autophagy: Mechanisms and Pathophysiological Implications outlines the differences between 'canonical' and 'non-canonical' forms of autophagy, highlighting the discoveries concerning the molecular mechanisms underlying these unconventional forms of autophagy and the advancements in pathophysiological features of 'non-canonical' autophagy. The book discusses all forms of 'non-canonical' autophagy and the complexity of autophagy-dependent cell death. Readers will gain a better understanding of mechanisms underlying 'non-canonical' autophagy so that they can interpret the biological effects of autophagy correctly and identify reliable, novel and effective treatment strategies. - Presents the most advanced information surrounding the molecular mechanisms underlying non-canonical autophagy - Outlines the increasing evidence regarding the involvement of non-canonical autophagy in multiple physiological and pathological processes - Discusses the therapeutic potential of autophagy modulators and the obstacles that have limited their development

Many individual aspects of the dynamics and assembly of biological membranes have been studied in great detail. Cell biological approaches, advanced genetics, biophysics and biochemistry have greatly contributed to an increase in our knowledge in this field.lt is obvious however, that the three major membrane constituents - lipids, proteins and carbohydrates- are studied, in most cases separately and that a coherent overview of the various aspects of membrane biogenesis is not readily available. The NATO Advanced Study Institute on "New Perspectives in the Dynamics of Assembly of Biomembranes" intended to provide such an overview: it was set up to teach students and specialists the achievements obtained in the various research areas and to try and integrate the numerous aspects of membrane assembly into a coherent framework. The articles in here reflect this. Statting with detailed contributions on phospholipid structure, dynamics, organization and biogenesis, an up to date overview of the basic, lipidic backbone of biomembranes is given. Extensive progress is made in the research on membrane protein biosynthesis. In particular the post- and co-translational modification processes of proteins, the mechanisms of protein translocation and the sorting mechanisms which are necessary to direct proteins to their final, intra - or extracellular destination have been characterized in detail. Modern genetic approaches were indispensable in this research area: gene cloning, hybrid protein construction, site directed mutagenesis and sequencing techniques elucidated many functional aspects of specific nucleic acid and amino acid sequences.

With the explosion of information on autophagy in cancer, this is an opportune time to speed the efforts to translate our current knowledge about autophagy regulation into better understanding of its role in cancer. This book will cover the latest advances in this area from the basics, such as the molecular machinery for autophagy induction and regulation, up to the current areas of interest such as modulation of autophagy and drug discovery for cancer prevention and treatment. The text will include an explanation on how autophagy can function in both oncogenesis and tumor suppression and a description of its function in tumor development and tumor suppression through its roles in cell survival, cell death, cell growth as well as its influences on inflammation, immunity, DNA damage, oxidative stress, tumor microenvironment, etc. The remaining chapters will cover topics on autophagy and cancer therapy. These pages will serve as a description on how the pro-survival function of autophagy may help cancer cells resist chemotherapy and radiation treatment as well as how the pro-death functions of autophagy may enhance cell death in response to cancer therapy, and how to target autophagy for cancer prevention and therapy − what to target and how to target it. ​

This book is a collection of selected and relevant research, concerning the developments within the Cell Death field of study. Each contribution comes as a separate chapter complete in itself but directly related to the books topics and objectives. The target audience comprises scholars and specialists in the field.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically encoded, active process which results in the death of individual cells, tissues, or whole organs. PCD plays an essential role in plant development and defense, and occurs throughout a plant’s lifecycle from the death of the embryonic suspensor to leaf and floral organ senescence. In plant biology, PCD is a relatively new research area, however, as its fundamental importance is further recognized, publications in the area are beginning to increase significantly. The field currently has few foundational reference books and there is a critical need for books that summarizes recent findings in this important area. This book contains chapters written by several of the world’s leading researchers in PCD. This book will be invaluable for PhD or graduate students, or for scientists and researchers entering the field. Established researchers will also find this timely work useful as an up-to-date overview of this fascinating research area.

What is autophagy? Why would neurons digest parts of themselves through autophagy? How can autophagy save the lives of cells under some conditions, but act as an accomplice to cell death in others? By what mechanisms are autophagy-related processes dysregulated in neurological diseases, and are there therapeutic strategies to correct or compensate for their dysfunction? This book provides an expert view of major concepts in autophagy research with a focus on autophagy in neurons. Experimental evidence for evolutionarily conserved and specialized regulatory mechanisms for autophagy in the mammalian nervous system will be presented, including recent data on braking mechanisms. Areas of intersection with cell death, the ubiquitin-proteasome system, chaperone-mediated autophagy, and the endocytic pathway will be reviewed, along with emerging areas of mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) and the autophagic regulation of neuritic/synaptic processes. Advances in delineating mechanisms by which autophagy is involved in the pathophysiology of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ischemia/hypoxia and lysosomal storage diseases, will be discussed along with current drug development strategies targeting autophagy.

This book series consists of 3 volumes covering the basic science (Volume 1), clinical science (Volume 2) and the technology and methodology (Volume 3) of autophagy. Volume 1 focuses on the biology of autophagy, including the signaling pathways, regulating processes and biological functions. Autophagy is a fundamental physiological process in eukaryotic cells. It not only regulates normal cellular homeostasis, and organ development and function, but also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a wide range of human diseases. Thanks to the rapid development of molecular biology and omic technologies, research on autophagy has boomed in recent decades, and more and more cellular and animal models and state-of the-art technologies are being used to shed light on the complexity of signaling networks involved in the autophagic process. Further, its involvement in biological functions and the pathogenesis of various diseases has attracted increased attention around the globe. Presenting cutting-edge knowledge, this book series is a useful reference resource for researchers and clinicians who are working on or interested in autophagy.