SQSTM1 and scrapie: On the other hand, overexpression of LC3s and p62 proteins, but not ATG5, in minimally prion-affected areas of scrapie-infected animals (cerebellum and basal ganglia) suggests the activation of the autophagic machinery as a defence mechanism that protects against neurodegeneration and leads to prion clearance, as it has been proposed in murine models in vivo54, but it could also reflect a very early moment in autophagy impairment.