Sites of sub-cellular photodamage: Apoptotic and autophagic responses.

Log dose-response curves relating to the effect of mitochondrial photodamage on clonogenic survival using benzoporphyrin derivative. With wild-type cells, autophagy produces a "shoulder" on the curve which is absent when an ATG5 knockdown is examined. Loss of ATG5 prevents the process of autophagy, which is seen to be cytoprotective.