What Role Does Autophagy Play in Protein Degradation?

Autophagy is a cellular process that degrades and recycles cellular components, including proteins, through the lysosome. There are three main types of autophagy:

Macroautophagy: Involves the formation of double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes that engulf cytoplasmic material and transport it to lysosomes.
Microautophagy: Direct engulfment of cytoplasmic material by lysosomes through invagination or protrusion of the lysosomal membrane.
Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy: Specific proteins are recognized by chaperone proteins and directly translocated across the lysosomal membrane for degradation.