Regulation of autophagy by protein methylation and acetylation in cancer

Abstract Autophagy is a highly conserved mechanism responsible for cellular homeostasis and integrity in a variety of physiological conditions. Materials targeted for degradation are directed to autophagosomes and autolysosomes, where they are broken down into their base components. Aberrant regulation of autophagy is significantly associated with various cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, accumulating evidence has revealed that the coordinated regulation of histone and non‐histone protein modification is associated with autophagy. In this review, we highlight the recent progress that has been made in elucidating the molecular basis of protein methylation and acetylation associated with autophagy at the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of describing causality between protein methylation/acetylation and autophagy regulation as compelling therapeutic opportunities in cancer pathogenesis and progression.