GADD45A inhibits autophagy by regulating the interaction between BECN1 and PIK3C3

GADD45A is a TP53-regulated and DNA damage-inducible tumor suppressor protein, which regulates cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and DNA repair, and inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis. However, the function of GADD45A in autophagy remains unknown. In this report, we demonstrate that GADD45A plays an important role in regulating the process of autophagy. GADD45A is able to decrease LC3-II expression and numbers of autophagosomes in mouse tissues and different cancer cell lines. Using bafilomycin A1 treatment, we have observed that GADD45A regulates autophagosome initiation. Likely, GADD45A inhibition of autophagy is through its influence on the interaction between BECN1 and PIK3C3. Immunoprecipitation and GST affinity isolation assays exhibit that GADD45A directly interacts with BECN1, and in turn dissociates the BECN1-PIK3C3 complex. Furthermore, we have mapped the 71 to 81 amino acids of the GADD45A protein that are necessary for the GADD45A interaction with BECN1. Knockdown of BECN1 can abolish autophagy alterations induced by GADD45A. Taken together, these findings provide the novel evidence that GADD45A inhibits autophagy via impairing the BECN1-PIK3C3 complex formation.