Fig. 2

Complexity of interactions between the cGAS–STING signalling pathway and autophagy. The autophagy process involves five key steps: (1) initiation, (2) nucleation, (3) elongation, (4) autophagosome formation, and (5) degradation. cGAS–STING activation can initiate autophagy and the subsequent five key steps, which triggers its own degradation. After autophagy initiation, cGAS–STING is ubiquitinated and binds p62. These factors are then packaged into autophagosomes and terminally sorted to lysosomes, and each step is regulated by specific ATG proteins, as highlighted, or explicit proteins, such as the ULK1, Beclin-1, P13P, and LC3 conjugation systems