Regulation of the homeostasis of hepatic endoplasmic reticulum and cytochrome P450 enzymes by autophagy

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an intracellular organelle consisting of a continuous network of membranes. In the liver, the ER is highly active in protein modification, lipid metabolism, and xenobiotic detoxification. Maintaining these complicated processes requires elaborate control of the ER lumen environment as well as the ER volume. Increasing evidence suggests that autophagy plays a critical role in regulating the homeostasis of hepatic ER contents and levels of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes via selective ER-phagy. This review will provide an overview of ER-phagy, summarizing the possible roles of recently identified ER-phagy receptor proteins in regulating the homeostasis of hepatic ER and CYP enzymes as well as outlining the various implications of ER-phagy in ER-related liver diseases.