A paper describing multilayered regulation of autophagy by Atg1 kinase has just come out in Molecular Cell. This was a great study started with Anne Schreiber at ETH (she’s now at the Crick) and finished at QUB. We contribured some phosphoproteomics analysis. The journal also published a ‘meet the author’ piece on Anne and me.

Highlights:

  • Lipidated Atg8 activates Atg1, stimulating substrate phosphorylation at phagophores

  • Phosphorylation of Atg13 by Atg1 dissociates the Atg1 complex at the PAS

  • Atg1 downregulates Atg8 lipidation at phagophores by inhibiting Atg3 and Atg12

  • Protein phosphatase activity reverses the inhibitory functions of Atg1