obsolete autophagy of host cells on or near symbiont surface true GO:0075191 The reason for obsoletion is that this term did not represent any specific host/symbiont process. biological_process OBSOLETE. The process in which the host cells digest parts of their own cytoplasm, occurring when the host is on or near its symbiont surface. The host is defined as the larger of the organisms involved in a symbiotic interaction.