Beclin 1 Autophagy-related

The ability of cells to undergo bulk degradation of endogenous proteins through an autophagosomic-lysosomal pathway, termed autophagy or Type II cell death, is important in the control of cell growth and development. Studies have identified Beclin-1 as a Bcl-2 interacting mammalian gene which not only mediates autophagy, but also functions as a tumor suppressor, being expressed at reduced levels in human breast carcinoma, and may also play a role in defense against viral infection. An increasing number of studies have revealed an interaction between proteins which induce autophagy and those involved in apoptosis and in some instances apoptosis may be dependent upon or delayed by autophagy.