Atg11 is required for initiation of glucose starvation-induced autophagy.

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.