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Cell biology

Beclin-1 / ATG genes

DEBeclin-1 / ATG-Gene

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Beclin-1 (encoded by BECN1) is a core component of the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K-III / VPS34) complex that nucleates phagophore membranes at the initiation step of macroautophagy, with its activity regulated by interactions with BCL-2 family proteins, UVRAG, and Rubicon. The broader ATG (AuTophaGy-related) gene family — comprising approximately 40 genes in yeast with conserved mammalian orthologues — encodes the machinery for phagophore elongation (ATG5, ATG12, ATG16L1), membrane lipidation (ATG7, ATG3), and closure (ATG2, ATG9). Beclin-1 is monoallelically deleted in many breast and ovarian cancers, implicating autophagy in tumour suppression, while global decline in Becn1 and other ATG gene expression in ageing tissues is proposed to contribute to the deterioration of autophagic flux observed with age.

Sources

  1. Liang et al.. (1999). Induction of autophagy and inhibition of tumorigenesis by beclin 1. *Nature*doi:10.1038/45257
  2. Mizushima & Komatsu. (2011). Autophagy: Renovation of Cells and Tissues. *Cell*doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.026