Description
Protocol
Available protocols: ELISA+
Specificity / Sensitivity
The PathScan
Species Reactivity: Human, Mouse
Background
Autophagy is a catabolic process for the autophagosomic-lysosomal degradation of bulk cytoplasmic contents (1,2). Autophagy is generally activated by conditions of nutrient deprivation, but it has also been associated with a number of physiological processes including development, differentiation, neurodegenerative diseases, infection, and cancer (3). Autophagy marker Light Chain 3 (LC3) was originally identified as a subunit of microtubule-associated proteins 1A and 1B (termed MAP1LC3) (4) and subsequently found to contain similarity to the yeast protein Apg8/Aut7/Cvt5 critical for autophagy (5). Three human LC3 isoforms (LC3A, LC3B, and LC3C) undergo posttranslational modifications during autophagy (6-9). Cleavage of LC3 at the carboxy terminus immediately following synthesis yields the cytosolic LC3-I form. During autophagy, LC3-I is converted to LC3-II through lipidation by a ubiquitin-like system involving Atg7 and Atg3 that allows for LC3 to become associated with autophagic vesicles (6-10). The presence of LC3 in autophagosomes and the conversion of LC3 to the lower migrating form, LC3-II, have been used as indicators of autophagy (11).
Alternate Names
ATG8E; Autophagy-related protein LC3 A; Autophagy-related ubiquitin-like modifier LC3 A; LC3; LC3A; MAP1 light chain 3-like protein 1; MAP1A/1B light chain 3 A; MAP1A/MAP1B LC3 A; MAP1A/MAP1B light chain 3 A; MAP1ALC3; MAP1BLC3; MAP1LC3; MAP1LC3A; microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 alpha; Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 alpha; microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3; Microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3A; MLP3A
