A recent article published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology elaborated on the findings of a study which disclosed that the mRNAs of some key ATG (autophagy related) genes such as ULK1, ATG5 and ATG7 exhibited significantly lower levels in the skin tissues of the face and chest with solar ultraviolet exposure when compared to the perineal skin. It was reported that UVB radiation down-regulated the expression of ULK1, ATG3 and ATG7, and it inhibited the autophagy flux via a mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR)-independent pathway in human keratinocytes. It was stated that the inhibition of autophagy in UVB-treated keratinocytes cannot be restored by treatment with the MTOR-dependent autophagy inducer rapamycin. Moreover, UVB treatment perturbs the conversion of microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain-3 (LC3)-I to LC3-II and LC3-II turnover in response to treatment with MTOR inhibitors (Torin 1 and pp242), as well as endoplasmic reticular stress, inositol pathway and autophagy inducers. The findings were summarized as: UVB radiation down-regulates several key autophagy-related proteins and impairs the autophagy response in keratinocytes. Thus, this study demonstrated a linkage between autophagy and skin disorders associated with ultraviolet exposure.