Autophagy in endosomal mutants: Desperately seeking to survive

The endosomal and autophagic pathways are essential for the degradation and renewal of cellular components. After a complex maturation process, both pathways converge to their final destination, the lysosome. A close link between these two pathways was described along the last decade, notably through the analysis of ESCRT mutants. Although in mammals ESCRT mutants are unable to complete autophagic maturation due to the lack of fusion with the endolysosomal system, the role of ESCRT in the autophagic process still remains an open issue. Using C. elegans, we recently showed that blockage of the endosomal maturation triggers the induction of autophagic activity in ESCRT mutant.(1) This increase of autophagic flux is an attempt to correct cellular defects and promote the survival of mutant animals.