Correct option is A
The correct answer is (a) It is an intermediate/hybrid organelle produced through the fusion of endosomes with autophagosomes within cells. An amphisome is a hybrid organelle formed when endosomes fuse with autophagosomes. This process occurs as part of autophagy, which is a cellular process that involves the degradation of cellular components. The fusion of the endosome with the autophagosome results in the formation of the amphisome, which plays a role in the degradation of the sequestered material by facilitating its interaction with lysosomal enzymes.
Information Booster
- Amphisomes are intermediate structures in the autophagic degradation process, formed by the fusion of endosomes and autophagosomes.
- The fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes leads to the formation of autolysosomes, where the degradation of engulfed material occurs. This is not related to amphisomes, which involve endosomes.
- The presence of both autophagosomal and endosomal membranes in the amphisome allows it to play a unique role in the autophagic-lysosomal pathway.
- The amphisome serves as a key intermediary step between endocytic and autophagic pathways, helping in the efficient degradation of unwanted material within the cell.
- The term amphisome is derived from the fusion of two membrane-bound vesicles, resulting in a unique vesicle with dual origins.
- Amphisomes are involved in the lysosomal degradation process, but their function is distinct from that of autolysosomes.
Additional Information
- Option (b): Double-membrane sequestering vesicles are characteristic of autophagosomes, not amphisomes. Autophagosomes are involved in macroautophagy, a catabolic process, but amphisomes specifically result from the fusion of autophagosomes and endosomes, making option (b)incorrect.
- Option (c): The compartment formed when an autophagosome fuses with a lysosome is called an autolysosome, not an amphisome. Therefore, option (c) is incorrect.
- Option (d): A vacuole that arises when membranes of the ER sequester parts of the cytoplasm is related to the formation of autophagosomes but not amphisomes. Therefore, option (d) is also incorrect.
