Understanding phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate dynamics during autophagosome biogenesis

Autophagosomes, the hallmark of autophagy, are double-membrane vesicles sequestering cytoplasmic components. They are generated at the phagophore assembly site (PAS), the phagophore being the precursor structure of these carriers. According to the current model, autophagosomes result from the elongation and reorganization of membranes at the PAS/phagophore driven by the concerted action of the autophagy-related (Atg) proteins. Once an autophagosome is completed, the Atg proteins that were associated with the expanding phagophore are released in the cytoplasm and reused for the biogenesis of new vesicles. One molecular event required for autophagosome formation is the generation of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns3P) at the PAS. Our data indicate that in addition to the synthesis of this lipid, the dephosphorylation of PtdIns3P is also crucial for autophagy progression. In the absence of Ymr1, a specific PtdIns3P phosphatase and the only yeast member of the myotubularin protein family, Atg proteins remain associated with complete autophagosomes, which are thus unable to fuse with the vacuole.     

Modulation of Local PtdIns3P Levels by the PI Phosphatase MTMR3 Regulates Constitutive Autophagy

Autophagy is a catabolic process that delivers cytoplasmic material to the lysosome for degradation. The mechanisms regulating autophagosome formation and size remain unclear. Here, we show that autophagosome formation was triggered by the overexpression of a dominant‐negative inactive mutant of Myotubularin‐related phosphatase 3 (MTMR3). Mutant MTMR3 partially localized to autophagosomes, and PtdIns3P and two autophagy‐related PtdIns3P‐binding proteins, GFP‐DFCP1 and GFP‐WIPI‐1α (WIPI49/Atg18), accumulated at sites of autophagosome formation. Knock‐down of MTMR3 increased autophagosome formation, and overexpression of wild‐type MTMR3 led to significantly smaller nascent autophagosomes and a net reduction in autophagic activity. These results indicate that autophagy initiation depends on the balance between PI 3‐kinase and PI 3‐phosphatase activity. Local levels of PtdIns3P at the site of autophagosome formation determine autophagy initiation and the size of the autophagosome membrane structure.     

The WD40 repeat PtdIns(3)P-binding protein EPG-6 regulates progression of omegasomes to autophagosomes

PtdIns(3)P plays critical roles in the autophagy pathway. However, little is known about how PtdIns(3)P effectors act with autophagy proteins in autophagosome formation. Here we identified an essential autophagy gene in C.?elegans, epg-6, which encodes a WD40 repeat-containing protein with PtdIns(3)P-binding activity. EPG-6 directly interacts with ATG-2. epg-6 and atg-2 regulate progression of omegasomes to autophagosomes, and their loss of function?causes accumulation of enlarged early autophagic structures. Another WD40 repeat PtdIns(3)P effector, ATG-18, plays a distinct role in autophagosome formation. We also established the hierarchical relationship of autophagy genes in degradation of?protein aggregates and revealed that the UNC-51/Atg1 complex, EPG-8/Atg14, and binding of lipidated LGG-1 to protein aggregates are required for?omegasome formation. Our study demonstrates that autophagic PtdIns(3)P effectors play distinct roles in autophagosome formation and also provides?a framework for understanding the concerted action of autophagy genes in protein aggregate degradation.     

Resveratrol-mediated autophagy requires WIPI-1-regulated LC3 lipidation in the absence of induced phagophore formation

Canonical autophagy is positively regulated by the Beclin 1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase class III (PtdIns3KC3) complex that generates an essential phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P), for the formation of autophagosomes. Previously, we identified the human WIPI protein family and found that WIPI-1 specifically binds PtdIns(3)P, accumulates at the phagophore and becomes a membrane protein of generated autophagosomes. Combining siRNA-mediated protein downregulation with automated high through-put analysis of PtdIns(3)P-dependent autophagosomal membrane localization of WIPI-1, we found that WIPI-1 functions upstream of both Atg7 and Atg5, and stimulates an increase of LC3-II upon nutrient starvation. Resveratrol-mediated autophagy was shown to enter autophagic degradation in a noncanonical manner, independent of Beclin 1 but dependent on Atg7 and Atg5. By using electron microscopy, LC3 lipidation and GFP-LC3 puncta-formation assays we confirmed these results and found that this effect is partially wortmannin-insensitive. In line with this, resveratrol did not promote phagophore localization of WIPI-1, WIPI-2 or the Atg16L complex above basal level. In fact, the presence of resveratrol in nutrient-free conditions inhibited phagophore localization of WIPI-1. Nevertheless, we found that resveratrol-mediated autophagy functionally depends on canonical-driven LC3-II production, as shown by siRNA-mediated downregulation of WIPI-1 or WIPI-2. From this it is tempting to speculate that resveratrol promotes noncanonical autophagic degradation downstream of the PtdIns(3)P-WIPI-Atg7-Atg5 pathway, by engaging a distinct subset of LC3-II that might be generated at membrane origins apart from canonical phagophore structures.     

Resveratrol-mediated autophagy requires WIPI-1-regulated LC3 lipidation in the absence of induced phagophore formation

Canonical autophagy is positively regulated by the Beclin 1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase class III (PtdIns3KC3) complex that generates an essential phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P), for the formation of autophagosomes. Previously, we identified the human WIPI protein family and found that WIPI-1 specifically binds PtdIns(3)P, accumulates at the phagophore and becomes a membrane protein of generated autophagosomes. Combining siRNA-mediated protein downregulation with automated high through-put analysis of PtdIns(3)P-dependent autophagosomal membrane localization of WIPI-1, we found that WIPI-1 functions upstream of both Atg7 and Atg5, and stimulates an increase of LC3-II upon nutrient starvation. Resveratrol-mediated autophagy was shown to enter autophagic degradation in a noncanonical manner, independent of Beclin 1 but dependent on Atg7 and Atg5. By using electron microscopy, LC3 lipidation and GFP-LC3 puncta-formation assays we confirmed these results and found that this effect is partially wortmannin-insensitive. In line with this, resveratrol did not promote phagophore localization of WIPI-1, WIPI-2 or the Atg16L complex above basal level. In fact, the presence of resveratrol in nutrient-free conditions inhibited phagophore localization of WIPI-1. Nevertheless, we found that resveratrol-mediated autophagy functionally depends on canonical-driven LC3-II production, as shown by siRNA-mediated downregulation of WIPI-1 or WIPI-2. From this it is tempting to speculate that resveratrol promotes noncanonical autophagic degradation downstream of the PtdIns(3)P-WIPI-Atg7-Atg5 pathway, by engaging a distinct subset of LC3-II that might be generated at membrane origins apart from canonical phagophore structures.     

Architecture of the ATG2B-WDR45 complex and an aromatic Y/HF motif crucial for complex formation

PtdIns3P signaling is critical for dynamic membrane remodeling during autophagosome formation. Proteins in the Atg18/WIPI family are PtdIns3P-binding effectors which can form complexes with proteins in the Atg2 family, and both families are essential for macroautophagy/autophagy. However, little is known about the biophysical properties and biological functions of the Atg2-Atg18/WIPI complex as a whole. Here, we demonstrate that an ortholog of yeast Atg18, mammalian WDR45/WIPI4 has a stronger binding capacity for mammalian ATG2A or ATG2B than the other 3 WIPIs. We purified the full-length Rattus norvegicus ATG2B and found that it could bind to liposomes independently of PtdIns3P or WDR45. We also purified the ATG2B-WDR45 complex and then performed 3-dimensional reconstruction of the complex by single-particle electron microscopy, which revealed a club-shaped heterodimer with an approximate length of 22 nm. Furthermore, we performed cross-linking mass spectrometry and identified a set of highly cross-linked intermolecular and intramolecular lysine pairs. Finally, based on the cross-linking data followed by bioinformatics and mutagenesis analysis, we determined the conserved aromatic H/YF motif in the C terminus of ATG2A and ATG2B that is crucial for complex formation.     

Vmp1 Regulates PtdIns3P Signaling During Autophagosome Formation in Dictyostelium discoideum

Generation and turnover of phosphatidylinositol 3‐phosphate (PtdIns3P) signaling is essential for autophagosome formation and other membrane traffic processes. In both Dictyostelium discoideum and mammalian cells, autophagosomes are formed from specialized regions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), called omegasomes, which are enriched in the signaling lipid PtdIns3P. Vacuole membrane protein 1 (Vmp1) is a multispanning membrane protein localized at the ER that is required for autophagosome formation. There are conflicting reports in the literature as to whether Vmp1 is strictly required or not for autophagy‐related PtdIns3P signaling and its hierarchical relationship with Atg1 and PI3K. We have now addressed these questions in the Dictyostelium model. We show that Dictyostelium cells lacking Vmp1 have elevated and aberrant PtdIns3P signaling on the ER, resulting in an increased and persistent recruitment of Atg18 and other autophagic proteins. This indicates that Vmp1 is not strictly essential for the generation of PtdIns3P signaling but rather suggests a role in the correct turnover or modulation of this signaling. Of interest, these PtdIns3P‐enriched regions of the ER surround ubiquitinated protein aggregates but are unable to form functional autophagosomes. vmp1 null cells also have additional defects in macropinocytosis and growth, which are not shared by other autophagy mutants. Remarkably, we show that these defects and also the aberrant PtdIns3P distribution are largely suppressed by the concomitant loss of Atg1, indicating that aberrant autophagic signaling on the ER inhibits macropinocytosis. These results suggest that Atg1 functions upstream of Vmp1 in this signaling pathway and demonstrates a previously unappreciated link between abnormal autophagy signaling and macropinocytosis.      

Phagophores evolve from recycling endosomes

The membrane origins of autophagosomes have been a key unresolved question in the field. The earliest morphologically recognizable structure in the macroautophagy/autophagy itinerary is the double-membraned cup-shaped phagophore. Newly formed phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns3P) on the membranes destined to become phagophores recruits WIPI2, which, in turn, binds ATG16L1 to define the sites of autophagosome formation. Here we review our recent study showing that membrane recruitment of WIPI2 requires coincident detection of PtdIns3P and RAB11A, a protein that marks recycling endosomes. We found that multiple core autophagy proteins are more tightly associated with the recycling endosome compartment than with endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrial contact sites. Furthermore, biochemical isolation of the recycling endosomes confirmed that they recruit autophagy proteins. Finally, fixed and live-cell imaging data revealed that recycling endosomes engulf autophagic substrates. Indeed, the sequestration of mitochondria after mitophagy stimulation depends on early autophagy regulators. These data suggest that autophagosomes evolve from the RAB11A compartment.     

Dissecting autophagosome formation: The missing pieces

The formation of autophagosomes is the central part of the macroautophagy pathway. Little is known, however, about how the participants in this process affect the membrane dynamics at the phagophore assembly site (PAS). Recently, we demonstrated that Atg8, a lipid-conjugated ubiquitin-like protein, controls the expansion of the phagophore. In addition, we showed that the autophagosome formation process can be traced and dissected by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy observation of GFP-Atg8. These findings constitute one step further in our understanding of autophagosome formation. Key questions remain open, however, on how the actions of other proteins at the PAS are coordinated with that of Atg8 and on the precise role of Atg8.

Addendum to: Xie Z, Nair U, Klionsky DJ. Atg8 controls phagophore expansion during autophagosome formation. Mol Biol Cell 2008; 19:3290-8.     

Atg8 lipidation is coordinated in a PtdIns3P-dependent manner by the PROPPIN Atg21

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atg8 coupled to phosphatidylethanolamine is a key component of autophagosome biogenesis. Atg21 binds via 2 sites at the circumference of its β-propeller to PtdIns3P at the phagophore assembly site (PAS). It recruits and arranges both Atg8 and Atg16, which is part of the E3-like ligase complex Atg12–Atg5-Atg16. Binding of Atg8 to Atg21 requires the FK-motif within the N-terminal-helical domain of Atg8 and D146 at the top of the Atg21 β-propeller. Atg16 binds via D101 and E102 within its coiled-coil domain to Atg21.     

Dissecting autophagosome formation: the missing pieces

The formation of autophagosomes is the central part of the macroautophagy pathway. Little is known, however, about how the participants in this process affect the membrane dynamics at the phagophore assembly site (PAS). Recently, we demonstrated that Atg8, a lipid-conjugated ubiquitin-like protein, controls the expansion of the phagophore. In addition, we showed that the autophagosome formation process can be traced and dissected by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy observation of GFP-Atg8. These findings constitute one step further in our understanding of autophagosome formation. Key questions remain open, however, on how the actions of other proteins at the PAS are coordinated with that of Atg8 and on the precise role of Atg8.     

Structure-based Analyses Reveal Distinct Binding Sites for Atg2 and Phosphoinositides in Atg18

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system by which cytoplasmic materials are enclosed by an autophagosome and delivered to a lysosome/vacuole. Atg18 plays a critical role in autophagosome formation as a complex with Atg2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P). However, little is known about the structure of Atg18 and its recognition mode of Atg2 or PtdIns(3)P. Here, we report the crystal structure of Kluyveromyces marxianus Hsv2, an Atg18 paralog, at 2.6 Å resolution. The structure reveals a seven-bladed β-propeller without circular permutation. Mutational analyses of Atg18 based on the K. marxianus Hsv2 structure suggested that Atg18 has two phosphoinositide-binding sites at blades 5 and 6, whereas the Atg2-binding region is located at blade 2. Point mutations in the loops of blade 2 specifically abrogated autophagy without affecting another Atg18 function, the regulation of vacuolar morphology at the vacuolar membrane. This architecture enables Atg18 to form a complex with Atg2 and PtdIns(3)P in parallel, thereby functioning in the formation of autophagosomes at autophagic membranes.     

An Atg9-containing compartment that functions in the early steps of autophagosome biogenesis

Eukaryotes use the process of autophagy, in which structures targeted for lysosomal/vacuolar degradation are sequestered into double-membrane autophagosomes, in numerous physiological and pathological situations. The key questions in the field relate to the origin of the membranes as well as the precise nature of the rearrangements that lead to the formation of autophagosomes. We found that yeast Atg9 concentrates in a novel compartment comprising clusters of vesicles and tubules, which are derived from the secretory pathway and are often adjacent to mitochondria. We show that these clusters translocate en bloc next to the vacuole to form the phagophore assembly site (PAS), where they become the autophagosome precursor, the phagophore. In addition, genetic analyses indicate that Atg1, Atg13, and phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate are involved in the further rearrangement of these initial membranes. Thus, our data reveal that the Atg9-positive compartments are important for the de novo formation of the PAS and the sequestering vesicle that are the hallmarks of autophagy.     

WIPI2B links PtdIns3P to LC3 lipidation through binding ATG16L1

WIPI proteins, phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns3P) binding proteins with β-propeller folds, are recruited to the omegasome following PtdIns3P production. The functions of the WIPI proteins in autophagosome formation are poorly understood. In a recent study, we reported that WIPI2B directly binds ATG16L1 and functions by recruiting the ATG12–ATG5-ATG16L1 complex to forming autophagosomes during starvation- or pathogen-induced autophagy. Our model of WIPI2 function provides an explanation for the PtdIns3P-dependent recruitment of the ATG12–ATG5-ATG16L1 complex during initiation of autophagy.     

Dynamics and function of PtdIns(3)P in autophagy

Phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) by PtdIns 3-kinase is essential for autophagy. However, the distribution and function of the enzymatic product, PtdIns 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P), has been unknown. We monitored PtdIns(3)P distribution during autophagy by live imaging, biochemistry, and electron microscopy, and found that PtdIns(3)P is massively delivered into the vacuole via autophagy. PtdIns(3)P is highly enriched as a membrane component of the elongating isolation membranes and autophagosome membranes rather than as an enclosed cargo, implying direct involvement of PtdIns(3)P in autophagosome formation. This observation also provides important basic information on the nature of the autophagosome membrane, which is still poorly understood. Notably, PtdIns(3)P is highly enriched on the inner (concave) surfaces of the isolation membrane and autophagosome compared to the outer surfaces. PtdIns(3)P is also enriched on ambiguous structures juxtaposed to the elongating tips of isolation membranes. We also investigated the function of PtdIns(3)P in autophagy, and show that PtdIns(3)P recruits the Atg18-Atg2 complex to autophagic membranes through an Atg18-PtdIns(3)P interaction. Interestingly, PtdIns(3)P is required only for the association of the Atg18-Atg2 complex to autophagic membranes but not for any subsequent functional activity of the Atg18-Atg2 complex, suggesting that PtdIns(3)P does not act allosterically on Atg18. Based on these results we discuss the function of PtdIns(3)P in autophagy.     

A mammalian autophagosome maturation mechanism mediated by TECPR1 and the Atg12-Atg5 conjugate

Autophagy is a major catabolic pathway in eukaryotes associated with a broad spectrum of human diseases. In autophagy, autophagosomes carrying cellular cargoes fuse with lysosomes for degradation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying autophagosome maturation is largely unknown. Here we report that TECPR1 binds to the Atg12-Atg5 conjugate and phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns[3]P) to promote autophagosome-lysosome fusion. TECPR1 and Atg16 form mutually exclusive complexes with the Atg12-Atg5 conjugate, and TECPR1 binds PtdIns(3)P upon association with the Atg12-Atg5 conjugate. Strikingly, TECPR1 localizes to and recruits Atg5 to autolysosome membrane. Consequently, elimination of TECPR1 leads to accumulation of autophagosomes and blocks autophagic degradation of LC3-II and p62. Finally, autophagosome maturation marked by GFP-mRFP-LC3 is defective in TECPR1-deficient cells. Thus, we propose that the concerted interactions among TECPR1, Atg12-Atg5, and PtdIns(3)P provide the fusion specificity between autophagosomes and lysosomes and that the assembly of this complex initiates the autophagosome maturation process.     

The Atg17-Atg31-Atg29 complex and Atg11 regulate autophagosome-vacuole fusion

The macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) process involves de novo formation of double-membrane autophagosomes; after sequestering cytoplasm these transient organelles fuse with the vacuole/lysosome. Genetic studies in yeasts have characterized more than 40 autophagy-related (Atg) proteins required for autophagy, and the majority of these proteins play roles in autophagosome formation. The fusion of autophagosomes with the vacuole is mediated by the Rab GTPase Ypt7, its guanine nucleotide exchange factor Mon1-Ccz1, and soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins. However, these factors are not autophagosome-vacuole fusion specific. We recently showed that 2 autophagy scaffold proteins, the Atg17-Atg31-Atg29 complex and Atg11, regulate autophagosome-vacuole fusion by recruiting the vacuolar SNARE Vam7 to the phagophore assembly site (PAS), where an autophagosome forms in yeast.     

Antibacterial autophagy occurs at PI(3)P-enriched domains of the endoplasmic reticulum and requires Rab1 GTPase

Autophagy mediates the degradation of cytoplasmic components in eukaryotic cells and plays a key role in immunity. The mechanism of autophagosome formation is not clear. Here we examined two potential membrane sources for antibacterial autophagy: the ER and mitochondria. DFCP1, a marker of specialized ER domains known as 'omegasomes,' associated with Salmonella-containing autophagosomes via its PtdIns(3)P and ER-binding domains, while a mitochondrial marker (cytochrome b5-GFP) did not. Rab1 also localized to autophagosomes, and its activity was required for autophagosome formation, clearance of protein aggregates and peroxisomes, and autophagy of Salmonella. Overexpression of Rab1 enhanced antibacterial autophagy. The role of Rab1 in antibacterial autophagy was independent of its role in ER-to-Golgi transport. Our data suggest that antibacterial autophagy occurs at omegasomes and reveal that the Rab1 GTPase plays a crucial role in mammalian autophagy.     

Atg11

Selective macroautophagy uses double-membrane vesicles, termed autophagosomes, to transport cytoplasmic pathogens, organelles and protein complexes to the vacuole for degradation. Autophagosomes are formed de novo by membrane fusion events at the phagophore assembly site (PAS). Therefore, precursor membrane material must be targeted and transported to the PAS. While some autophagy-related (Atg) proteins, such as Atg9 and Atg11, are known to be involved in this process, most of the mechanistic details are not understood. Previous work has also implicated the small Rab-family GTPase Ypt1 in the process, identifying Trs85 as a unique subunit of the TRAPPIII targeting complex and showing that it plays a macroautophagy-specific role; however, the relationship between Ypt1, Atg9 and Atg11 was not clear. Now, a recent report shows that Atg11 is a Trs85-specific effector of the Rab Ypt1, and may act as a classic coiled-coil membrane tether that targets Atg9-containing membranes to the PAS. Here, we review this finding in the context of what is known about Atg11, other Rab-dependent coiled-coil tethers, and other tethering complexes involved in autophagosome formation.     

The relevance of the phosphatidylinositolphosphat-binding motif FRRGT of Atg18 and Atg21 for the Cvt pathway and autophagy

Atg18 and Atg21 are homologous S. cerevisiae autophagy proteins. Atg18 is essential for biogenesis of Cvt vesicles and autophagosomes, while Atg21 is only essential for Cvt vesicle formation. We found that mutated Atg18-(FTTGT), which lost almost completely its binding to PtdIns3P and PtdIns(3,5)P(2), is non-functional during the Cvt pathway but active during autophagy and pexophagy. Since the Cvt pathway does not depend on PtdIns(3,5)P(2), we conclude that the Cvt pathway requires binding of Atg18 to PtdIns3P. Mutated Atg21-(FTTGT) is inactive during the Cvt pathway but showed only partly reduced binding to PtdIns-phosphates, suggesting further lipid binding domains in Atg21. GFP-Atg18-(FTTGT) and Atg21-(FTTGT)-GFP are released from vacuolar punctae to the cytosol.