What is "microautophagy"

n. (context biology English) A form of autophagy in which the material to be digested fuses directly with the lysosome

Microautophagy (unlike Macroautophagy and Chaperone-mediated autophagy) is the type of autophagic pathway which is mediated by direct lysosomal ( mammals) or vacuolar ( plants and fungi) engulfment of the cytoplasmic cargo. Cytoplasmic material is trapped in the lysosome/vacuole by the random process of membrane invagination. Microautophagic pathway is especially important for survival of cells under starvation, nitrogen deprivation or after treatment with rapamycin. Microautophagy generally is a non-selective process but there are 3 special cases of selective microautophagic pathway (micropexophagy, Piecemeal microautophagy of the nucleus, micromitophagy) which are activated under a specific conditions.