Image-Based Genome-Wide siRNA Screen Identifies Selective Autophagy Factors

Selective autophagy is a process in which specific cargoes, such as damaged organelles and invading pathogens, are targeted for lysosomal destruction. Beth Levine and colleagues present a genome-wide RNAi screen for regulators of mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) and viral destruction (virophagy) in mammalian cells. They identify 141 candidate genes required for virophagy, 96 of which are also required for mitophagy, indicating that common molecular determinants are involved in autophagic targeting of viral nucleocapsids and autophagic targeting of damaged mitochondria. Functional studies of one of the gene products, SMURF1, show it to be a mediator of both virophagy and mitophagy.