How a Sweet "Nutraceutical" Works Finally Uncovered (IMAGE)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

How a Sweet "Nutraceutical" Works Finally Uncovered

Caption

The molecular link between trehalose and autophagy. Trehalose inhibits cellular import of glucose and fructose through SLC2A (GLUT) transporters, generating a starvation-like (low adenosine triphosphate) state that stimulates autophagy through AMPK and activation of ULK1. This pathway triggers autophagosome biogenesis and autophagic flux, which favors the clearance of pathological protein aggregates and lipid stores. Conversely, autophagy is inhibited by mTOR, a sensor of nutrient availability and recipient of growth factor signaling. AMPK activation may interfere with mTOR-mediated inactivation of ULK1. Trehalose may induce autophagy through additional unidentified mTOR-independent mechanisms. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the Feb. 24, 2016, issue of Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS. The paper, by P. Mardones at University of Chile in Santiago, Chile, and colleagues was titled, "Mystery solved: Trehalose kickstarts autophagy by blocking glucose transport."

Credit

P. Mardones et al., <i>Science Translational Medicine</i> (2016)

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