Autophagy is a process of bulk degradation of cytoplasmic components by the lysosome/vacuole and has a significant relationship to several neurodegenerative disorders and myopathies in mammals (1). Apg7 (Atg7) is a unique E1 enzyme which is essential for both the Apg12p- and Apg8p-modification systems, and plays indispensable roles in autophagy (2). A new molecular pathway has been defined in which activation of the receptor-interacting protein (a serine-threonine kinase) and Jun amino-terminal kinase induced cell death with the morphology of autophagy. Autophagic death required Atg7 and beclin 1 and was induced by caspase-8 inhibition (3).