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- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(author)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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In: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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- Emery, CF, et al.
(author)
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Pulmonary function as a cause of cognitive aging
- 2012
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In: Psychological science. - : SAGE Publications. - 1467-9280 .- 0956-7976. ; 23:9, s. 1024-1032
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human aging is associated with decline in cognitive and physical functioning. Although pulmonary function predicts long-term performance (up to 10 years) on measures of cognitive function, recent data suggest the opposite relationship: Cognitive decline predicts self-reported physical limitations. In the study reported here, we utilized dual-change-score models to determine the directional relationship between pulmonary and cognitive function. Our sample consisted of 832 participants (ages 50–85 years at baseline), who were assessed in up to seven waves of testing across 19 years as part of the longitudinal Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. Changes in pulmonary function led to subsequent changes in fluid cognitive function, specifically, in tasks reflecting psychomotor speed and spatial abilities. There was no evidence that declines in cognitive function led to subsequent declines in pulmonary function. Thus, these data indicate a directional relationship from decreased pulmonary function to decreased cognitive function, a finding that underscores the importance of maintaining pulmonary function to ensure cognitive performance.
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