Autophagy in the context of the cellular membrane-trafficking system: the enigma of Atg9 vesicles

Macroautophagy is an intracellular degradation system that involves the de novo formation of membrane structures called autophagosomes, although the detailed process by which membrane lipids are supplied during autophagosome formation is yet to be elucidated. Macroautophagy is thought to be associated with canonical membrane trafficking, but several mechanistic details are still missing. In this review, the current understanding and potential mechanisms by which membrane trafficking participates in macroautophagy are described, with a focus on the enigma of the membrane protein Atg9, for which the proximal mechanisms determining its movement are disputable, despite its key role in autophagosome formation.