Figures & data
Figure 1. TAK1-mediated autophagy prevents hepatic steatosis and tumorigenesis. Upon nutrition deprivation, TGF-β activated kinase 1 (TAK1) mediates autophagy through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibition of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). TAK1 is also associated with induction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α-mediated fatty acid oxidation (FAO) through suppression of mTORC1. Both autophagy and FAO contribute to lipid breakdown to prevent excessive lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. Autophagy prevents, and mTORC1 enhances, spontaneous tumorigenesis in the liver.
