Innate immunity plays an important role in the host defense of a variety of different pathogens, and its responses must be tightly regulated to effectively eliminate microbial invasion and avoid immune-related diseases. Autophagy is a homeostatic process that is critical for the bulk degradation of cellular constituents. Recently, accumulating evidence demonstrates the emerging role of the autophagy in the regulation of innate immune responses. In this chapter, we will have a broad overview of the function of autophagy in innate immunity, and briefly introduce the composition of this book and the content of each chapter.
Keywords: Autophagy; Autophagy-related proteins; Cargo receptors; Immune regulation; Innate immunity.