Atg14: A Key Player in Orchestrating Autophagy. (3rd August 2011)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Obara, Keisuke; Ohsumi, Yoshinori
• Other Names: Pon Liza Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: International journal of cell biology. Volume 2011(2011)
• Publication Date: 2011-08-03
• Subjects: Cytology -- Periodicals; Cell Biology; Cytology; Periodicals; Electronic journals -- Sciences; Electronic journals -- Biology; Periodicals; 571.6
• DOI: 10.1155/2011/713435
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1687-8876

Abstract

Abstract : Phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) by a PtdIns 3-kinase is an essential process in autophagy. Atg14, a specific subunit of one of the PtdIns 3-kinase complexes, targets the complex to the probable site of autophagosome formation, thereby, sorting the complex to function specifically in autophagy. The N-terminal half of Atg14, containing coiled-coil domains, is required to form the PtdIns 3-kinase complex and target it to the proper site. The C-terminal half of yeast Atg14 is suggested to be involved in the formation of a normal-sized autophagosome. The C-terminal half of mammalian Atg14 contains the Barkor/Atg14(L) autophagosome-targeting sequence (BATS) domain that preferentially binds to the highly curved membranes containing PtdIns(3) P and is proposed to target the PtdIns 3-kinase complex efficiently to the isolation membrane. Thus, the N- and C-terminal halves of Atg14 are likely to have an essential core function and a regulatory role, respectively.