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Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Author Spotlight: A Selective Luciferase-Based Assay for Monitoring ATG4B 27 Activity in Cells
Published on: June 30, 2023
Autophagy-independent function of Atg1 for apoptosis-induced compensatory proliferation
Mingli Li1, Jillian L Lindblad2, Ernesto Perez2
1University of Birmingham, School of Biosciences, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Background:
ATG1 belongs to the Uncoordinated-51-like kinase protein family. Members of this family are best characterized for roles in macroautophagy and neuronal development. Apoptosis-induced proliferation (AiP) is a caspase-directed and JNK-dependent process which is involved in tissue repair and regeneration after massive stress-induced apoptotic cell loss. Under certain conditions, AiP can cause tissue overgrowth with implications for cancer.
Results:
Here, we show that Atg1 in Drosophila (dAtg1) has a previously unrecognized function for both regenerative and overgrowth-promoting AiP in eye and wing imaginal discs. dAtg1 acts genetically downstream of and is transcriptionally induced by JNK activity, and it is required for JNK-dependent production of mitogens such as Wingless for AiP. Interestingly, this function of dAtg1 in AiP is independent of its roles in autophagy and in neuronal development.
Conclusion:
In addition to a role of dAtg1 in autophagy and neuronal development, we report a third function of dAtg1 for AiP.
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