Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy

Fluid shear stress induces vacuole formation through the autophagic pathway

Autophagy is a crucial cellular process for maintaining cellular physiology through eliminating degraded organelles. Using a novel microfluidic approach, our previous research has demonstrated a link between liquid shear stress and the autophagy pathway through small molecule inhibition. However, specific genetic evidence that further supports this relationship is lacking.  Here, we directly demonstrate the relationship between shear forces and the autophagy machinery by using shRNA to knock down ATG5, a critical protein for the production of autophagosomes, in conjunction with an autophagic vacuole formation assay. By using a physiology-mimicking ex-vivo approach, we can create a translational model that can be used in future research into gut physiology