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Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Study of Protein-protein Interactions in Autophagy Research
Published on: September 9, 2017
GRB2 is a BECN1 interacting protein that regulates autophagy
Jetsy Montero-Vergara1, Kira Plachetta1, Lisa Kinch2
1Institute of Cell Biology (Cancer Research), University Hospital Essen, Virchowstrasse 173, D-45122, Essen, Germany.
Abstract:
GRB2 is an adaptor protein of HER2 (and several other tyrosine kinases), which we identified as a novel BECN1 (Beclin 1) interacting partner. GRB2 co-immunoprecipitated with BECN1 in several breast cancer cell lines and regulates autophagy through a mechanism involving the modulation of the class III PI3Kinase VPS34 activity. In ovo studies in a CAM (Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane) model indicated that GRB2 knockdown, as well as overexpression of GRB2 loss-of-function mutants (Y52A and S86A-R88A) compromised tumor growth. These differences in tumor growth correlated with differential autophagy activity, indicating that autophagy effects might be related to the effects on tumorigenesis. Our data highlight a novel function of GRB2 as a BECN1 binding protein and a regulator of autophagy.
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