Receptor-mediated autophagic turnover of portions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is mediated by macro-ER-phagy. We hypothesized macro-ER-phagy promotes proteotoxic stress resistance. We predicted Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking macro-ER-phagy receptors would exhibit enhanced sensitivity to hygromycin B, which reduces translational fidelity and is expected to globally disrupt protein homeostasis, including at the ER. We observed that loss of either of two yeast macro-ER-phagy receptors (Atg39p or Atg40p) compromised cellular resistance to hygromycin B to a similar extent as loss of ER-associated degradation (ERAD) ubiquitin ligases Hrd1p and Doa10p. Our data are consistent with a model whereby macro-ER-phagy and ERAD collaborate to mediate ER protein quality control. Disruptions of macro-ER-phagy have been linked to neuropathy, dementia, and cancer. A dampened capacity to mediate protein quality control may contribute to these conditions.
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