Fig. 5

Autophagy induced by gossypol in cancer cells. Gossypol stimulates the conversion of LC3-I to its lipidated form LC3-II, which is a key step in autophagy initiation. LC3-II is associated with the autophagosome membrane. The process begins with the initiation of a phagophore, which expands to engulf cellular components targeted for degradation. The maturation of the phagophore leads to the formation of an autophagosome, which then fuses with a lysosome to form an autolysosome. Within the autolysosome, the encapsulated materials are degraded and recycled, providing the cell with a mechanism to remove damaged organelles and proteins. The action of gossypol in promoting this pathway suggests a potential therapeutic mechanism by which cancer cell survival is reduced through the enhanced turnover of cellular components. LC3-I Microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B, form I, LC3-II Microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B, form II, PE Phosphatidylethanolamine