A recent review led by Academician YiN yulong from the institute of Subtropical Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has shed new light on the intricate interplay between exosomes and autophagy-two cellular processes increasingly recognized as key regulators of tissue communication and homeostasis.

Published in The Innovation Life, and featured as the cover, the review marks a significant contribution to the field of cellular biology.

High-quality pork products have become a key goal for swine industry. Intramuscular fat content and muscle fiber type composition are critical factors influencing meat quality. As important metabolic and secretory organs, muscle and adipose tissues interact with each other, and exosomes, as mediators of intercellular communication, have become a major focus of research.

"This paper focuses on the theme of how autophagy-dependent secretion regulates autophagy itself," said Ll Qilong, first author of the review. "We systematically explore the homeostatic relationship between exosomes and autophagy from both intracellular and intercellular perspectives."

On the intracellular level, the researchers highlighted that homeostasis between exosomes and autophagy primarily depends on the fate of multivesicular bodies and autophagosomes, as well as the vesicular transport function of autophagy-related proteins. However, the connection between multivesicular bodies and autophagosomes formed by selective autophagy at the organelle level has rarely been reported, which remains an important direction for future research.

After exosomes secreted by donor cells are internalized by target cells, their cargoes, such as miRNAs and proteins, can activate or inhibit autophagy-related signals. Nevertheless, how autophagy-related signaling alterations affect the internalization and secretion of exosomes in recipient cells warrants further investigation.

"This review provides new insights into muscle-adipose crosstalk and the role of nutrients in determining organelle fate," said Prof Li Fengna, corresponding author of this review.