Autophagy Determines the Path on the TRAIL to Death

Macroautophagy facilitates degradation of cellular constituents and can positively or negatively affect cell death depending on the context. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Goodall and colleagues (2016) add to this complexity by showing that autophagy regulators can determine not only cell viability, but also the mechanism by which cells die. Macroautophagy facilitates degradation of cellular constituents and can positively or negatively affect cell death depending on the context. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Goodall and colleagues (2016) add to this complexity by showing that autophagy regulators can determine not only cell viability, but also the mechanism by which cells die.