For 10 points, name this process in which a cell digests its own components for energy.
Deletion of genes involved in this process was recently shown to inhibit white adipocyte differentiation and promote brown adipocyte transdifferentiation. mTOR (em-TOR) is thought to downregulate this process through phosphorylation of the ULK complex. Adaptor proteins for this process such as p62 and NBR1 commonly possess a LIR motif, which selectively binds to the Atg8 family of proteins. An assay for this process can be performed by immunoblotting for LC3-II turnover during the (*) starvation-induced form of this process. The "macro" form of this process involves a formation of a double membrane around the cytoplasmic target, which can then fuse with the lysosome for degradation. For 10 points, name this process in which a cell digests its own components for energy.
Deletion of genes involved in this process was recently shown to inhibit white adipocyte differentiation and promote brown adipocyte transdifferentiation.
autophagy [or autophagocytosis, or macroautophagy or microautophagy]