title: ATGs: Scaffolds for MAPK/ERK signaling.
abstract: Autophagy maintains cellular homeostasis by sequestering unwanted material within autophagosomes and transferring these to lysosomes for degradation. Several signaling cascades activate or suppress autophagy in response to diverse environmental cues. However, whether autophagic structures per se regulate cell signaling was not known. The MAPK/ERK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway controls several functions in the cell, and studies have identified the importance of scaffold proteins in modulating MAPK signaling through the spatial coordination of the RAF1-MAP2K/MEK-MAPK cascade. Growth factors increase the nuclear localization and activity of MAPK, and since the nucleus has been reported to contain LC3, an autophagy-related protein, we asked whether autophagic structures could serve as cytosolic and nuclear scaffolds for growth factor-induced MAPK phosphorylation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY USA.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martinez-Lopez
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY USA; Diabetes Research Center; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY USA; Institute for Aging Studies; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY USA.
authors.forename: Rajat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: ERK; autophagosome; autophagy; nucleus; phosphorylation; scaffold; signaling