Fig. 1: Schematic representation of autophagosome formation.
From: Experimental determination and mathematical modeling of standard shapes of forming autophagosomes
Each shape represents an axially symmetric membrane structure. As surface area increases, the shape of a forming autophagosome (phagophore) changes from an initial flat cisterna, through a cup-shaped intermediate, to a spherical closed autophagosome. The regions labeled a, b, and c correspond to the inner membrane, the outer membrane, and the rim, respectively. Eventually, autophagosomes and lysosomes fuse to degrade the contents of the former.
