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THE REGULATORY ROLE OF TAURINE IN AUTOPHAGY

ANTHONY M. KYRIAKOPOULOS 1,2*, MIRUNA-MARIA APETROAEI-LEUCĂ 3, ANTONIS TSINTARAKIS 4, ARISTIDIS TSATSAKIS 5,6, PANAGIOTIS ZOUMPOURLIS 4, GABRIELA PURA 7, DEMETRIOS A. SPANDIDOS 8, VASSILIS ZOUMPOURLIS 4, STEPHANIE SENEFF ⁹

¹ Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology. Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Rio-Patras, Greece
2 Department of Research and Development, Nasco AD Biotechnology Laboratory, 18536 Piraeus, Greece 3“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956, Bucharest, Romania
4 Biomedical Applications Unit, Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 11635 Athens, Greece.
5 Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
6 Health Sciences Department, Universidad Ecotec, Km. 13.5 Samborondón, Samborondón EC092302, Ecuador
7 Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babeș Street, 400012, Cluj- Napoca, Romania
8 Laboratory of Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
9 Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

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Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is an abundant amino acid with complex roles in cellular homeostasis and redox regulation. Beyond its cytoprotective and metabolic activities, emerging evidence indicates that taurine regulates autophagy, a major defense and recycling mechanism governing cell fate, survival, aging, and death. Deviations from this balance contribute to diseases including cancer and neurodegeneration. Taurine can promote autophagy to inhibit oxidative stress and rescue cells, or attenuate it under toxic conditions to prevent apoptosis. In non-malignant cells, it induces autophagy to maintain normal function, whereas in cancer it exerts anti-tumor activity via a ROS-dependent autophagy–mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Recent studies also show that taurine and its transporter help fuel cancer. To clarify these differential effects, this review examines the relationships among taurine's physicochemical properties, signaling pathways, and key proteins regulating autophagy and apoptosis, and interprets the links among taurine, cell death, and the Warburg effect.