Autophagy and DNA damage repair

Abstract

DNA damage occurs frequently resulting from both exogenous and endogenous factors, which induce a series of downstream responses including autophagy and DNA damage repair. In the past few years, increasing evidence has indicated that the interplay between autophagy and DNA damage repair is essential for maintaining genome stability as well as cellular homeostasis, and have significant effects on cell fate. On one hand, autophagy is induced during the process of DNA damage repair, and can act as an upstream factor of DNA damage repair as well. On the other hand, autophagy plays a rather dual role in regulating DNA damage repair, as mild and repairable DNA damage repair can be restored with facilitation of autophagy, hyperactivation of autophagy can be cytotoxic and have negative impact on DNA damage repair. In this article, we review current understandings about the cross talk between autophagy and DNA damage repair, with particular attention to their significance to genome integrity and effects on cell fate.