Autophagy Compounds

Browse by Target

Select a target to explore available autophagy compounds. Counts reflect unique products in our collection.

Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process in which cells degrade and recycle their own components through lysosomal machinery. It plays a critical role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by removing damaged organelles, misfolded proteins, and intracellular pathogens. Three main types of autophagy have been identified: macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy, with macroautophagy being the most extensively studied using small-molecule tools.

The initiation of macroautophagy is tightly controlled by the ULK1 complex, which is regulated by two opposing nutrient sensors: mTORC1 (which inhibits autophagy when nutrients are abundant) and AMPK (which activates autophagy under energy stress). Once initiated, the Beclin-1/VPS34 complex generates PI3P on the phagophore membrane, followed by the conjugation of LC3 to phosphatidylethanolamine — a widely used marker for monitoring autophagic flux in research settings.

Autophagy intersects with numerous other cellular processes including apoptosis, innate immunity, and metabolism. Compounds that selectively activate or suppress autophagy at specific nodes are invaluable for dissecting these complex interactions in vitro. Our collection provides researchers with a comprehensive set of tools for investigating every stage of the autophagic process, from induction and nucleation to cargo recognition and lysosomal degradation.