Autophagy as a protective response to Bnip3-mediated apoptotic signaling in the heart

Bnip3 is a member of the 'BH3-only' Bcl-2 subfamily which has been implicated in apoptotic, necrotic and autophagic cell death. We recently reported that Bnip3 is a key mediator of mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in the ex vivo heart following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Moreover, we found that Bnip3 was involved in upregulation of autophagy in I/R and that Bnip3-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction correlated with upregulation of autophagy. Using a model of simulated I/R and overexpression of Bnip3 in HL-1 cardiac myocytes, we determined that Bnip3-mediated upregulation of autophagic activity constituted a protective response against Bnip3 death signaling. Here we present additional evidence that enhanced autophagic activity functions as a cytoprotective pathway to oppose ischemia/reperfusion-related apoptosis.