Molecular mechanisms and functions of autophagy and the ubiq-uitin-proteasome pathway

All proteins in eukaryotic cells are continually being degraded and replaced. Autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system are two mechanisms for intracellular protein degradation. Autophagy is mediated by lysosome, and is further divided into chaperone-mediated autophagy, microautophagy and macroautophagy. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is highly complex and mediated by ubiquitin, which participates in intracellular protein degradation in a specific manner. It is now known that degradation of intracellular proteins is involved in regulation of a series of cellular processes, including cell-cycle division, DNA repair, cell growth and differentiation, quality control, pathogen infection, and apoptosis. The aberrations in the protein degradation systems are involved in many serious human diseases. The present review summarizes the mechanisms of protein degradation and related human diseases.