Figures & data
Figure 1. The motor-adaptor sharing model enabling axonal autophagosomes to be transported from distal axons toward the soma through fusion with LEs. (A) Autophagosomes gain the LE-loaded dynein motor complexes they need to move away from axonal terminals by fusing with LEs to form intermediate organelles known as amphisomes. SNAPIN serves as an adaptor of the dynein motor by interacting with dynein DNAI and attaching the motor to LEs. SNAPIN-dynein complexes drive long-distance transport of amphisomes from distal processes to the soma, where mature acidic lysosomes are relatively enriched. Such a mechanism enables neurons to efficiently reduce autophagic stress in distal axons and at synapses, thus maintaining axonal homeostasis. (B) Blocking dynein recruitment to LEs by disrupting dynein-SNAPIN coupling impairs the movement of amphisomes toward the cell body. (C) Reducing the ability of autophagosomes to fuse with LEs results in aberrant accumulation of immobile autophagic compartments in axon terminals.
