Autophagy-related protein 8

UniProtKB accession:  P38182

Grouped By:  Matching UniProtKB accession

UniProtKB description:  Ubiquitin-like modifier involved in cytoplasm to vacuole transport (Cvt) vesicles and autophagosome formation (PubMed:10525546, PubMed:10681575, PubMed:10837468, PubMed:11038174, PubMed:11149920, PubMed:16680092, PubMed:18508918, PubMed:19398890, PubMed:21429936, PubMed:7593182, PubMed:8224160). With ATG4, mediates the delivery of the vesicles and autophagosomes to the vacuole via the microtubule cytoskeleton (PubMed:9649430). Required for selective autophagic degradation of the nucleus (nucleophagy) as well as for mitophagy which contributes to regulate mitochondrial quantity and quality by eliminating the mitochondria to a basal level to fulfill cellular energy requirements and preventing excess ROS production (PubMed:17404498, PubMed:22768199). Participates also in membrane fusion events that take place in the early secretory pathway (PubMed:10837468). Also involved in endoplasmic reticulum-specific autophagic process and is essential for the survival of cells subjected to severe ER stress (PubMed:17132049). The ATG8-PE conjugate mediates tethering between adjacent membranes and stimulates membrane hemifusion, leading to expansion of the autophagosomal membrane during autophagy (PubMed:11100732, PubMed:17632063, PubMed:20855502). Moreover not only conjugation, but also subsequent ATG8-PE deconjugation is an important step required to facilitate multiple events during macroautophagy, and especially for efficient autophagosome biogenesis, the assembly of ATG9-containing tubulovesicular clusters into phagophores/autophagosomes, and for the disassembly of PAS-associated ATG components (PubMed:17632063, PubMed:20855502, PubMed:22622160). Also plays a role in regulation of filamentous growth (PubMed:17700056).