title: Sorting through the roles of beclin 1 in microglia and neurodegeneration.
abstract: Beclin 1 has a well-established role in regulating autophagy, a cellular degradation pathway. Although the yeast ortholog of beclin 1 (Atg6/Vps30) was discovered to also regulate vacuolar protein sorting nearly 30 years ago, the varied functions of beclin 1 in mammalian cells are only beginning to be sorted out. We recently described a role for beclin 1 in regulating recycling of phagocytic receptors in microglia, a function analogous to that of its yeast ortholog. Microglia lacking beclin 1 have a reduced phagocytic capacity, which impairs clearance of amyloid β (Aβ) in a mouse model of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Here we summarize these findings and discuss the implications for beclin 1-regulated receptor recycling in neurodegenerative disease.
authors.affiliation: Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Caitlin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wyss-Coray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D000071186:Beclin-1; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D017628:Microglia / Q000502:physiology*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; C028495:phagocytosis receptor