Fig. 3

Autophagy and T cell activation. When T cells are activated by TCR-stimulation and co-stimulation, these cells undergo a metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to glycolysis to meet the new enhanced metabolic requirements. Furthermore, this activation induces important transcriptional and translational changes mainly driven by mTOR-independent autophagy induction capable to activate and modulate the autophagy machinery. Activation-induced autophagy then contributes to: modulation of cytokine signalling and release; mediation of antioxidant effects; promotion of T cell survival and proliferation as well as sufficient ATP production and energy supply; control of intracellular calcium levels and calcium-dependent signalling; active impact on T cell fate by determining T cell differentiation and phenotype; modulation of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis; influencing T cell function; impact on T cell cell-cycle control; modulation of cellular levels of specific T cell activation-related signalling players/autophagosomal cargo (Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B), itchy E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (Itch) and Regulator Of Calcineurin 1 (RCAN1), Interleukin-7 receptor subunit alpha (Il-7Rα), transcription factor PU.1, Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Non-Receptor Type 1 (PTPN1), B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia 10 (Bcl-10), “selective exclusion” of mitochondria from autophagosomes). The figure is created with “BioRender.com”