Structural basis for ATG9A recruitment to the ULK1 complex in mitophagy initiation

Output Details

Preprint July 13, 2022

The assembly of the autophagy initiation machinery nucleates autophagosome biogenesis, including in the PINK1- and Parkin-dependent mitophagy pathway implicated in Parkinson's disease. The structural interaction between the sole transmembrane autophagy protein, ATG9A, and components of the ULK1 complex is one of the major missing links needed to complete a structural map of autophagy initiation. We determined the 2.4 Å x-ray crystallographic structure of the ternary structure of ATG9A C-terminal tail bound to the ATG13:ATG101 HORMA dimer, which is part of the ULK1 complex. We term the interacting portion of the extreme C-terminal part of the ATG9A tail the “HORMA dimer interacting region” (HDIR). This structure shows that the HDIR binds to the HORMA domain of ATG101 by β-sheet complementation such that the ATG9A tail resides in a deep cleft at the ATG13:ATG101 interface. Disruption of this complex in cells impairs damage induced PINK1/Parkin mitophagy mediated by the cargo receptor NDP52.
Identifier (DOI)
10.1126/sciadv.adg2997
Tags
  • Autophagy
  • Original Research
  • Structural biology

Meet the Authors

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    Xuefeng Ren, PhD

    Key Personnel: Team Hurley

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Thanh Nguyen, PhD

    Key Personnel: Team Hurley

    Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

  • Wai Kit (Leo) Lam, PhD

    Key Personnel: Team Hurley

    Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

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    Cosmo Z. Buffalo

  • Michael Lazarou, PhD

    Co-PI (Core Leadership): Team Hurley

    Monash University

  • James Hurley

    Lead PI (Core Leadership): Team Hurley

    University of California, Berkeley