| ATG13 - Autophagy Related 13
Type: Autophagy initiation protein / ULK complex component
Function: ATG13 is a core component of the ULK1/ULK2 autophagy-initiation complex together with ULK1/2, FIP200/RB1CC1, and ATG101. It acts as a regulatory and scaffold protein that helps assemble and activate the autophagy machinery in response to nutrient, energy, mTORC1, and AMPK signaling, promoting phagophore formation and autophagosome biogenesis.
Cancer: ↕ Context-dependent. ATG13-dependent autophagy can suppress early tumorigenesis by maintaining cellular homeostasis and removing damaged proteins and organelles. However, established cancer cells frequently exploit ATG13-mediated autophagy to survive nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and anticancer therapy, contributing to tumor survival and treatment resistance.
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