Publications | Atlastins remodel the endoplasmic reticulum for selective autophagy. Journal of Cell Biology

Specific receptors are required for the autophagic degradation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), known as ER-phagy. However, little is known about how the ER is remodeled and separated for packaging into autophagosomes. We developed two ER-phagy-specific reporter systems and found that Atlastins are key positive effectors and also targets of ER-phagy. Atlastins are ER-resident GTPases involved in ER membrane morphology, and Atlastin-depleted cells have decreased ER-phagy under starvation conditions. Atlastin's role in ER-phagy requires a functional GTPase domain and proper ER localization, both of which are also involved in ER architecture. The three Atlastin family members functionally compensate for one another during ER-phagy and may form heteromeric complexes with one another. We further find that Atlastins act downstream of the FAM134B ER-phagy receptor, such that depletion of Atlastins represses ER-autophagy induced by the overexpression of FAM134B. We propose that during ER-phagy, Atlastins remodel ER membrane to separate pieces of FAM134B-marked ER for efficient autophagosomal engulfment.

Principal Investigator(s):

Author(s):
Liang JR, Lingeman E, Ahmed S, Corn JE

PubMed:
30143524
Citation:
Liang JR, Lingeman E, Ahmed S, Corn JE
J Cell Biol
2018
Oct
217
3354-3367
doi:
10.1083/jcb.201804185
PMID: 30143524