title: The Atg6/Vps30/Beclin 1 ortholog BEC-1 mediates endocytic retrograde transport in addition to autophagy in C. elegans.
abstract: Autophagy and endocytosis are dynamic and tightly regulated processes that contribute to many fundamental aspects of biology including survival, longevity, and development. However, the molecular links between autophagy and endocytosis are not well understood. Here, we report that BEC-1, the C. elegans ortholog of Atg6/Vps30/Beclin1, a key regulator of the autophagic machinery, also contributes to endosome function. In particular we identify a defect in retrograde transport from endosomes to the Golgi in bec-1 mutants. MIG-14/Wntless is normally recycled from endosomes to the Golgi through the action of the retromer complex and its associated factor RME-8. Lack of retromer or RME-8 activity results in the aberrant transport of MIG-14/Wntless to the lysosome where it is degraded. Similarly, we find that lack of bec-1 also results in mislocalization and degradation of MIG-14::GFP, reduced levels of RME-8 on endosomal membranes, and the accumulation of morphologically abnormal endosomes. A similar phenotype was observed in animals treated with dsRNA against vps-34. We further identify a requirement for BEC-1 in the clearance of apoptotic corpses in the hermaphrodite gonad, suggesting a role for BEC-1 in phagosome maturation, a process that appears to depend upon retrograde transport. In addition, autophagy genes may also be required for cell corpse clearance, as we find that RNAi against atg-18 or unc-51 also results in a lack of cell corpse clearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Queens College, Flushing, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruck
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Attonito
authors.forename: Kelly T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Garces
authors.forename: Lizbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Núnez
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Palmisano
authors.forename: Zahava
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rubel
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Ken C Q
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Barth D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meléndez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D001692:Biological Transport; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004705:Endocytosis; D011992:Endosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010588:Phagosomes; D010641:Phenotype; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; C477268:bec-1 protein, C elegans; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins