ABSTRACT
Autophagy is an evolutionary ancient pathway by which cells maintain cell-autonomous homeostasis by removing intracellular material through lysosomal degradation. In addition to its homeostatic function, autophagy is also utilized by infected cells to remove intracellular pathogens, and likely represents one of the earliest forms of eukaryotic defense against intracellular pathogens. However, the autophagy pathway is not merely a one way ticket to the lysosome, but rather, an adaptable system capable of performing a diverse set of functions within cells. The vertebrate immune system utilizes autophagy not only to degrade intracellular pathogens, but also employs the autophagic machinery to enhance and precisely regulate innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses. However, in many cases, the autophagy pathway and its machinery are targeted by viral pathogens to either counter host viral restriction or to achieve maximal viral replication by subversion of autophagy pathway. Herein, we aim to summarize this rapidly expanding field, highlighting the diverse contribution of the autophagy pathway to antiviral immunity.
