Nature Cell Biology

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0061-zpmid: 29476159

Autophagy is a cellular degradation and recycling process with complex roles in health and disease and emerging relevance to translational research. In this issue, we launch a Series of commissioned articles that will discuss recent advances and outstanding questions driving this rapidly expanding and diverse field.

Kary, Christina

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0057-8pmid: 29476157

Kary, Christina

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0060-0pmid: 29476158

Kary, Christina

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0059-6pmid: 29476155

Kary, Christina

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0058-7pmid: 29476156

Krämer-Albers, Eva-Maria

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0048-9pmid: 29476149

Inflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production after central nervous system injury are thought to enhance tissue damage and hamper neuronal regeneration. Evidence now suggests that NADPH2 oxidase delivery from macrophages to injured neurons through extracellular vesicles, promotes ROS signalling and axon recovery.

Kruse, Karsten; Chiaruttini, Nicolas; Roux, Aurélien

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0050-2pmid: 29476148

Cytoplasmic flows are essential for various cellular processes. However, tools to manipulate these flows within cells are still lacking. Now research shows that an optical tool allows for control of cytoplasmic flows and can be used as a subcellular rheometer.

Zijlstra, Andries; Di Vizio, Dolores

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0049-8pmid: 29476154

Exosomes are heterogeneous, nanoscale vesicles that mediate cellular communication. A study now leverages a size separation strategy to identify sub-classes of nanoparticles, revealing a subtype without an encapsulating membrane and variation in vesicle cargo, suggesting that size is not the only driver of heterogeneity.

Zhou, Katherine; Pan, Tao

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0046-ypmid: 29476150

N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA modification influences mRNA fate by stimulating recruitment of m6A reader proteins. A previously unappreciated class of m6A reader proteins is now shown to use a common RNA-binding domain and flanking regions to selectively bind m6A-containing mRNAs, increasing their translation and stability.

Gatica, Damián; Lahiri, Vikramjit; Klionsky, Daniel J.

doi: 10.1038/s41556-018-0037-zpmid: 29476151

Macroautophagy, initially described as a non-selective nutrient recycling process, is essential for the removal of multiple cellular components. In the past three decades, selective autophagy has been characterized as a highly regulated and specific degradation pathway for removal of unwanted cytosolic components and damaged and/or superfluous organelles. Here, we discuss different types of selective autophagy, emphasizing the role of ligand receptors and scaffold proteins in providing cargo specificity, and highlight unanswered questions in the field.