Transcriptional regulation of autophagy and lysosomal function by bromodomain protein BRD4.

Macroautophagy/autophagy is an intracellular recycling system that delivers cytoplasmic organelles and materials to lysosomes for degradation. This process is operated by autophagy-related (ATG) genes and tightly controlled by stress-responsive signaling pathways. Our recent study revealed that autophagy programs are transcriptionally suppressed by the BET family protein BRD4. This repression is alleviated during nutrient deprivation through the AMPK-SIRT1 pathway. Our findings therefore provide new insights into the regulation of autophagy.