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Updated: May 30, 2026

Imaging ATG9A, a Multi-Spanning Membrane Protein
Published on: June 16, 2023
The role of Atg proteins in autophagosome formation
Noboru Mizushima1, Tamotsu Yoshimori, Yoshinori Ohsumi
1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan. nmizu.phy2@tmd.ac.jp.
Abstract:
Macroautophagy is mediated by a unique organelle, the autophagosome, which encloses a portion of cytoplasm for delivery to the lysosome. Autophagosome formation is dynamically regulated by starvation and other stresses and involves complicated membrane reorganization. Since the discovery of yeast Atg-related proteins, autophagosome formation has been dissected at the molecular level. In this review we describe the molecular mechanism of autophagosome formation with particular focus on the function of Atg proteins and the long-standing discussion regarding the origin of the autophagosome membrane.
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