Atg11 is required for initiation of glucose starvation-induced autophagy

Autophagy. 2020 Dec;16(12):2206-2218. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1719724. Epub 2020 Feb 3.

Abstract

How energy deprivation induces macroautophagy/autophagy is not fully understood. Here, we show that Atg11, a receptor protein for cargo recognition in selective autophagy, is required for the initiation of glucose starvation-induced autophagy. Upon glucose starvation, Atg11 facilitates the interaction between Snf1 and Atg1, thus is required for Snf1-dependent Atg1 activation. Phagophore assembly site (PAS) formation requires Atg11 via its control of the association of Atg17 with Atg29-Atg31. The binding of Atg11 with Atg9 is crucial for recruiting Atg9 vesicles to the PAS and, thus, glucose starvation-induced autophagy. We propose Atg11 as a key initiation factor controlling multiple key steps in energy deprivation-induced autophagy. Abbreviations: AMPK: AMP-activated protein kinase; Ams1: α-mannosidase; Ape1: aminopeptidase I; Cvt: cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GFP: green fluorescent protein; MBP: myelin basic protein; MMS: methanesulfonate; PAS: phagophore assembly site; PNBM: p-nitrobenzyl mesylate; SD-G: glucose starvation medium; SD-N: nitrogen starvation medium; ULK1, unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1; WT: wild type.

Keywords: Atg11; Atg9; PAS; Snf1; glucose starvation-induced autophagy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Autophagy*
  • Autophagy-Related Proteins / chemistry
  • Autophagy-Related Proteins / metabolism*
  • Glucose / deficiency*
  • Models, Biological
  • Multiprotein Complexes / metabolism
  • Phagosomes / metabolism
  • Protein Domains
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / cytology*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins / chemistry
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Atg11 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Autophagy-Related Proteins
  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins
  • Glucose

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [91754107]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31771528]; Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province [LY17C160001].