InterPro domain: IPR004241

A number of autophagy-related proteins have been identified in yeast, including the key autophagic protein Atg8, which is a ubiquitin-like protein with a structure consisting of two amino-terminal alpha-helices and a ubiquitin-like core [ 1 , 2 ]. Many other eukaryotes contain multiple Atg8 orthologues. Atg8 genes of multicellular animals can be divided into three subfamilies: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (MAP1LC3 or LC3) [ 3 ], gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor-associated protein (GABARAP) and Golgi-associated ATPase enhancer of 16kDa (GATE-16) [ 4 , 5 ]. Family members are involved in diverse intracellular trafficking and autophagy processes.

1. Atg8 controls phagophore expansion during autophagosome formation. Mol. Biol. Cell 19, 3290-8
2. The crystal structure of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, a mammalian homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atg8. Genes Cells 9, 611-8
3. Molecular characterization of light chain 3. A microtubule binding subunit of MAP1A and MAP1B. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 11492-7
4. Atg8: an autophagy-related ubiquitin-like protein family. Genome Biol. 12, 226
5. Network organization of the human autophagy system. Nature 466, 68-76